


Memento Mori

by starian_nightzz



Category: Fairy Tail, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 02:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13917786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starian_nightzz/pseuds/starian_nightzz
Summary: Having magic brought her nothing but pain and suffering. Death finally had enough and stepped in to save his master. The Master of Death was reborn once more in Fiore…as the childhood friend of the Black Wizard Zeref. Zeref/Fem!Harry





	1. Death

_Death cast his eyes upon her like one would a favoured child  
_ _He has waited for eons  
_ _For one that would hold his power_

_Together for eternity  
_ _A life of loneliness_

_So in the end  
_ _What does it means to be Death’s Master?_

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**  

“Come on, please, Kris! Stay awake!” Ron Weasley almost begged, supporting his best friend on one side—almost carrying her—either ignoring or not caring for the blood that had almost drenched his robes. “Keep your eyes open!”

Hermione Granger—soon to be Weasley—ran up the marble steps of the Longbottom mansion, banging on the door frantically, hoping that their closest friends are home on that day. “Neville! Luna! Open up!” 

It almost seem like an eternity before the door opened, and a wary Neville Longbottom appeared with his wand in hand before relaxing when he saw who’s at the door. “What’s going on—” He then froze, his voice caught in his throat when he saw who’s behind Hermione. “…Oh Merlin…! _Luna!”_ He called for his wife who was present in the sitting room, and she froze when she saw all the blood as both Hermione and Ron supported the blood drenched Krystal into the pristine chamber.

“I’ll floo Madam Pomfrey!” Luna volunteered as she ran straight for the fireplace and threw in a pinch of Floo powder, sticking her head into the green flames.

“What happened?” Neville demanded as he fell onto his knees by Krystal’s side as he used as many healing spells as he knew, all the while ordering his house elves to get every single healing potion in the house.

The Longbottom Lord grimaced as his diagnostics came up.

Cutting Hex in the throat.

It had been nearly two years since the Fall of Voldemort and the Battle of Hogwarts, and the people of Magical Britain are still trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild their life, as however short that the war had been, it had been disastrous—not unlike the first war with Voldemort over a decade ago.

And all their classmates—or at least the ones that have survived were slowly picking up the pieces that is their life.

Neville knew that Seamus Finnegan had joined the magical art studio in Diagon Alley as an apprentice whilst his best friend Dean Thomas had signed up with the _Daily Prophet_ as a reporter. Parvati Patil had opened a shop in Diagon Alley in honour of her late friend, Lavender Brown—with their shared dream being to open a shop that stocks robes, dresses and accessories. Ron Weasley had taken up an apprenticeship with the Auror program whilst Hermione had signed up for the Healer Academy. Luna Lovegood had chosen to help her father full-time with the _Quibbler_ that is fast gaining a reputation as a reputable magazine. Neville on the other hand had taken up an apprenticeship with their old Hogwarts Herbology professor, hoping to gain a mastery in Herbology.

In fact, Neville and Luna had gotten engaged just a year out of Hogwarts, and had held their wedding just six months prior. Hermione and Ron were dating for just as long, and though Neville knew from his talks with Krystal and Ron that Mrs Weasley had been hinting at Ron to propose, the couple were willing to wait until both of them have gained a permanent position in their chosen careers.

As for Krystal, she had kept well out of public eye ever since the war had ended. No one had really seen her save for the Weasley family. Neville knew from his talks with Ron, and even from what he’d heard from Luna that Krystal is having problems coping with the nightmares of the war. It was actually Hermione who had suggested that she take some time off to travel and see the sights before deciding what she wants to do. Although public opinion had decided otherwise, many of Krystal’s classmates and friends knew for one that the last thing that Krystal would do is enter the Auror program.

Krystal had already been involved with too much battle and bloodshed. It isn’t something that she would fathom doing as a career.

In fact, Krystal had just returned to Britain six months ago to attend Neville and Luna’s wedding—attending as Luna’s bridesmaid. And after that, it was Mrs Weasley who had persuaded her to stay for awhile before leaving again.

So why the hell is Krystal bleeding out on his floor right now?

“She was attacked!” Ron said frantically, trying to stem the bleeding from his best friend’s throat with his robes—trying to recall as many techniques what to do in the event of an emergency from his Auror training. “It was just…outside my house! It was a rogue Death Eater! We…didn’t…know…” Ron was choking back tears. “I stunned the Death Eater and dropped a word at Auror headquarters before we decided to come here!”

Neville gritted his teeth as Hermione performed spell after spell, but to no avail. “Luna!” Neville screamed for his wife as Luna popped her head out of the fire.

“Madam Pomfrey’s not at Hogwarts!” Luna cried.

“Oh Merlin…!” Hermione was on the verge of tears, now already resorting to muggle first-aid as her spells just aren’t helping, and the potions that Neville had his house elves brought isn’t helping either. “Please…! No…! Krystal! Stay awake, do you hear me? Keep your eyes on me!” Hermione urged urgently, seeing the dazed expression in her best friend’s eyes, and that the light in those green eyes are fading. “Don’t fall asleep!”

Her voice was shaking as she tried to stop the bleeding. From what she could tell, the Cutting Hex had severed several major arteries in her throat. Even with magic, there is no way to heal that. Even as a trainee Healer, Hermione knew that her best friend is losing lots of blood.

Hermione blinked away tears, feeling frustrated and angry with herself. She became a Healer in order to save people—like the lives she couldn’t save during the war. Please… She doesn’t want to lose her best friend too…!

Krystal coughed out blood, with the crimson liquid spilling from the edges of her lips, much to her four friends’ horror. “…No… Her’m’ne… It’s okay…” Krystal’s speech was slurred even as she grasped a hand slick with warm blood onto Hermione’s hand. “…It’s…too late…”

Hermione shook her head, her bushy hair following her movements even as tears spilled from her eyes. “Idiot! Don’t say it!” she protested, her voice shaking. “I… I’m not letting you die!”

“…No…” Krystal slurred. “It’s…fine…” She felt so tired. She just wanted to sleep. “…Ron… Did…you get that guy…?” Ron nodded his head, increasing his grip on Krystal’s hand as if doing so can help her to cling onto life a little longer. “…That’s…good…” She coughed, spilling more blood out. “…Hey… Can…you take care…of Teddy for me?”

“Do it yourself, Kris.” Neville begged, his voice shaking. “You’re his godmother. He’s already lost both his parents before he is even old enough to know them. You can’t let him lose his godmother too. Kris… Please…! Stay awake!”

Krystal coughed, with more blood spilling from the edges of her lips. “…It’s fine…” she slurred, tears prickling at her eyes. “It’s…too late… I…never had a chance…to live life…the way I wanted to… I…just want to feel…needed…” She whispered.

Hermione cried. “Please, Krystal…!” she grasped her hand. “Don’t do this!” She pleaded. “I…want you there at mine and Ron’s wedding! To be the godmother to our children! Krystal…! Don’t leave us…!” 

Krystal coughed, spilling more blood from the edges of her lips. “…I…never asked…to be the…hero…” she slurred, her vision blurring because of her tears. “I…can’t even sleep at night…seeing the faces…of the people…whom we couldn’t save…” She coughed. “All I wanted…was just a normal life… To be a normal person… So why…can’t I have that…?”

Luna covered her lips with her hand, her tears spilling out of her eyes. Why had she never seen Krystal’s torment? Why did none of them see it? How long had Krystal been keeping all these inside her?

“Don’t fall asleep, Kris!” Ron said fiercely, but the way his voice shook and his hands trembled badly gave away his inner torment. “We’re right here! We’re right here with you!” He begged, tears spilling from his eyes. “We’ll get over this, just like we did everything! Remember? The time with the Philosopher’s Stone? And the Chamber of Secrets? Even when we thought Sirius was after you? And then the Goblet? I never apologised for that, by the way. I’m sorry! And then when we went hunting for the Horcruxes? We got through everything! I want you to stand witness at mine and Hermione’s wedding. We’re right here, Kris! Please…! Please don’t close your eyes! Don’t fall asleep!” Ron begged, and Neville’s heart went out to him.

“…So…tired…”

“Kris, please!” Hermione begged. “Don’t…! Don’t leave us behind…! Don’t die…!”

Krystal could see her friends’ faces clearly for the first time even through her tears, and she was then filled with so much regret. So many things that she hadn’t done that she wished she had. If only she had tried just a little harder… If only she didn’t shut herself off from everything…

Then she saw a figure with a black cloak in her vision. She’s seen him before once—back when she had first taken on the role as Death’s master in order to deal with Voldemort. Death stretched out a hand towards her, and Krystal knew at that moment that if she took that hand, everything would really end for her. 

But somehow, that didn’t matter.

She’s just so tired.

She’s been fighting an uphill and losing battle since she was eleven. She doesn’t want to fight anymore. Death… He’s the one being that had kept her safe from everything. He never demands things from her.

He’s…like her protector.

She stretched out a shaking hand and took Death’s hand in her grasp.

Somehow…

Dying isn’t so scary.

She’s just so tired.

She just wants to sleep.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Death took the orb of light in his hands—the soul of his master. 

The first person in eons to have the capability to command _him—_ to be worthy of being called Death’s Master. After all, he had been with her since she was a baby that night when both her parents have called on sacrificial magic to protect her. He’s seen everything through her eyes since.

And to say that Death is disgusted with the world that Merlin, Arthur and Morgana have created is an understatement.

Are humans really beyond saving in the end?

After all, they’ve desecrated Merlin’s teachings. Arthur too was assassinated by his own brother with his own Holy Sword. Excalibur is lost now to the dawns of time because there is no master worthy of wielding him. And Morgana, the Dark Lady… The true story of her history has too been desecrated just because she had different beliefs from those during her time.

And now his master has to die because of the idiocy of the humans whom she had suffered for and killed for time and again. 

Why should he stand for it?

Why should he stand by and watch as his master suffered? 

Why shouldn’t he take her to another world and allow her to live the life that she would want to—a life that she never had the chance to lead? To have a normal life—with no one expecting her to be the hero. To have someone who would walk over fire for her.

His decision made, Death then walked through the Boundaries once more—his destination set for a world that he knew has more magic than the world that he’d just left—one whose people wouldn’t be such close-minded fools.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

It is a cold winter night, and the fire cackled merrily as the two women sat in front of the fireplace—both in rocking chairs, with a shawl over their shoulders to keep the cold out, and slippers on their feet.

The first woman looks heavily pregnant, with the tunic of her dress almost stretching over her rounded belly, and she looked lovingly down at her unborn child. Her companion—a woman with black hair and dark eyes had a small sleeping infant maybe just a month old or so being wrapped in a blanket in her arms. 

“I wonder if it’ll be a girl or a boy?” The first woman smiled, rubbing her hand over her baby bump. “It’ll be nice if it’s a girl.” 

“As long as your baby is healthy, do you really care either way?” Her lady companion teased her, and the woman laughed. The infant in her arms whimpered, his eyelids twitching—almost as if he’s about to wake. The two women quietened down, and the second woman patted the sleeping infant in her arms on the back, gently lulling him back to sleep. “And if it’s really a girl like you wished, maybe she can be Zeref’s friend, and maybe even something a little more.” She teased.

Her friend laughed. “That’ll be nice,” she said with a warm smile, rubbing her hand over her baby bump.

“Have you thought of a name already?” The second woman enquired, curious.

“I have.” The pregnant woman nodded, a warm smile on her face before it faded to a sad one for just a moment. “Alexander suggested the name before he’d died.” She said wistfully, and her friend looked solemn, before placing a comforting hand on her arm. “If it’s a boy, Orion. And if it’s a girl…” She smiled, looking down at her baby bump. “…Krystal. Krystal Nightray.”

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Death turned away from the window of the house, satisfied with knowing that he’d given his master another chance at life. Maybe in this life, she’ll answer his call. But regardless, he had made up his mind a long time ago.

His master has suffered enough. And whether it be god or human, he swore that he would never let another hurt her ever again—not like how she’d suffered as Krystal Potter. 

After all, Death only follows _one_ master.


	2. The Lost Age

_“…Why can’t it be me…?” - Enoch Cross_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

_~December 09, X385; Western Forest~_

The sun is now a deep orange-red, with just a few hours to sunset.

The sound of snow crunching beneath boots could be heard even as a lean teen of about thirteen or fourteen moved carefully, gripping a bow in one hand and readying an arrow in the other. He had silver hair that reaches down to just below his earlobes and crimson red eyes, dressed in a black shirt with long sleeves and black trousers, with a black coat for the winter season.

Red eyes narrowed as he spied a white snow bunny scuttling over the snow-covered ground, whiskers and its nose twitching as it hunted for food. His grip tightened on the bow that he is holding. But before he could release his arrow, there was a low hoot from the air, and a white blur swooped down and caught the unsuspecting rabbit in its talons before the young owl flew over towards where a girl of about thirteen was standing, with the owl landing on her outstretched arm.

The girl was petite in size, with raven-black locks that flowed down to just below her shoulders, with silver-blue eyes. She was also dressed for winter, dressed in a similar fashion as the boy, but with a pair of black gloves on her hands.

The boy scowled, turning towards the girl. “No fair using Hedwig to do the hunt for you, Krystal!” Enoch Cross complained, scowling at the girl.

Krystal Nightray smiled even as the young owl on her arm gave out a few short hoots that sounded as if the bird was laughing, causing Enoch to scowl even deeper. “Fair’s fair, Enoch.” Krystal shrugged. “You didn’t say anything when Zeref used Midnight to catch us a squirrel last month.”

Enoch scowled before he frowned, looking around Krystal as if expecting to see something before he turned his eyes towards her. “Zeref not with you?” he asked, confused. “That’s a surprise. I rarely see you both apart.”

Krystal looked annoyed. “We’re not joined at the hip, thank you very much,” she said curtly. “And no. He has to watch his baby brother today. Natsu has a fever.” She glanced at the dead rabbit in her hand, and her lips twitched. “…I’m just not sure how much this rabbit can bring us. All the animals have gone into hiding over the past few years. We’re actually lucky to even be able to get a rabbit—especially with it being winter and all.”

Enoch said nothing even as he placed his bow and arrow back within the quiver on his back.

It is true that there hasn’t been much of anything in the land that can satisfy as food, as the war amongst the kings of the sky—the dragons have been getting worst of late. Every week, Lilycove actually caught word that there’s been a village or two getting burnt down as collateral damage for the Dragon War.

It has been ongoing for about two years now. But as there isn’t much that humans can do against a dragon, let alone a whole hoard of them, all that the humans could do the moment they saw a dragon is to try to run.

Keyword here: _try._  

Humans were prey in the dragons’ eyes after all. They’re known as the kings of the sky for a reason. But Enoch knew that there are a group of dragons who were opposed to this manner of thinking, and had opted for co-existence with humans. This is what leads to the Dragon War.

And it is true what Krystal had said. Due to the war that had wrecked the land and all, much of what the humans of the land could hunt and capture as food had all gone into hiding. Hell, Enoch couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen a rabbit or even a fox—apart from the one currently dangling from Krystal’s hand.

“I wonder how the village is going to make it through winter this year?” Enoch murmured with concern, his forehead wrinkling. “We got so many sick in the village right now furthermore, but no money for a doctor. And none of the few mages that we have in Lilycove could heal worth a damn either.” He looked at Krystal who looked worried too and sighed. “Shall we go back? It’s nearly sundown.”

Krystal nodded, and the two pre-teens then turned and walked down the route that would take them back to their village. Enoch eyed Krystal out of the corner of his eye as he did so.

Lilycove Village had been a small village, and they mainly relied on hunting and fishing as their main income. But with the start of the Dragon War, Lilycove hadn’t been able to get by like they used to.

Enoch himself had been born and raised in Lilycove—much like Zeref and Krystal whom he had grown up with. But as those two have often kept to themselves, he didn’t really meet them until he was old enough to attend Sunday School where the only schoolteacher in the village gave lessons and taught them how to read and write and even about the kingdom’s history.

Zeref and Krystal, from what Enoch knew, have been friends even before they were barely out of their diapers, with their parents being best friends and all. Krystal however didn’t have it easy, as her father had died before she was even born in a freak accident just outside the village. And her mother had passed away from illness about three years ago. The Dragneel family had then taken her in, as Zeref and Krystal have been best friends, and they are also family friends of the Nightray family.

There was a giant gust of wind from overhead just then, and both pre-teens clamped their hands over their ears as a gigantic roar almost deafened them. When they have both recovered enough to look upwards, they were just in time to see a great dragon with scales the colour of jade flying overhead—in pursuit of a dragon the colour of flames.

Krystal almost paled, as the direction that the dragons are heading towards…

“…It’s heading in the direction of the village…” Krystal realised, looking at Enoch who had paled to the colour of his hair.

“Let’s go!” Enoch ordered, picking up his pace and taking off in a run towards Lilycove, with Krystal close behind him. _‘Please let nothing happen…!’_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

Their first sight of Lilycove was already that of the entrance burning.

Both Krystal and Enoch paled before the two rushed off to their individual houses, already spying several dead bodies along the way, as the two dragons that they have seen earlier were going at it above their heads in the sky.

There are several reasons after all why whenever two dragons engage in a battle, anyone with even a little bit of common sense get the hell out of the way.

Krystal felt her heart sank when she saw that the house that she lived in with the Dragneel family is already on flames, and the door is gone. “Zeref! Natsu! Aunt Emily!” Krystal called out, coughing through the smoke. _“Zeref!”_

Where are they? Zeref and Natsu at least should still be in the house, right? Have they gotten out?

“…Krystal…!”

Krystal’s eyes widened when she heard a faint voice coming from the room that Zeref shared with his younger brother. When Krystal was younger, she had often had sleepovers with Zeref in said room. 

“Zeref?”

Krystal barely dodged a collapsing beam that is also on flames, with the fire grazing her arm even as she rushed to Zeref’s room. Seeing as how the house is made of _wood,_ it isn’t going to last very long with how strong that the flames are. 

Krystal’s eyes widened when she arrived at the entrance of Zeref’s room. The entire room was barely recognisable, with things strewn everywhere, and wood particles already falling from the ceiling. The bed that Zeref had shared with his four-year-old brother was caved in—with a heavy wooden beam being the cause of it.

Emily Dragneel was sprawled on the ground, a pool of blood already pooling around her, and a heavy wooden beam next to her is enough for Krystal to put the pieces together. And just next to the caved-in bed was an injured Zeref Dragneel, using his left hand that is curled in a fist to prevent the heavy wooden beam from crushing him or his baby brother that is being shielded by Zeref’s body—with the younger boy currently beneath Zeref. Bruises were also visible on the younger Dragneel, and blood was already visible on his temple.

“Zeref! Natsu!” Krystal called out as she barely dodged another heavy wooden beam that had missed her head narrowly. She pulled at the wooden beam currently on the verge of crushing the Dragneel brothers, thus causing the beam to land heavily on the ground.

“We have to get out of here! The house and the village isn’t going to last very long!” Krystal urged even as Zeref tapped at his brother’s cheek, tears almost welling up in his eyes as he realised that Natsu isn’t waking up.

“Zeref! Come on!” Krystal was already shrugging out of her coat, and wrapping the four-year-old within it, hoping against all hopes that he’s still alive, as she knew that it would crush Zeref if his younger brother dies. “We have to go!”

Zeref nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of his hand as he took Krystal’s hand to get to his feet. “My mother?” he croaked.

Krystal’s shaking of her head told him everything that he needs to be told.

The two dodged another collapsing wooden beam from the ceiling, along with a large part of the roof—thus allowing the two pre-teens to see the two dragons going at it in the skies above the village. Zeref wrapped his right arm around Krystal’s shoulders who currently had Natsu in her arms, with the younger boy being wrapped up in her coat. The two then dodged the collapsing pieces of the Dragneel house as they made their way outside. 

“Krystal! Zeref!” A voice called out to them the moment they were outside, and the two looked up only to see a harried Enoch running towards them, blood visible on his hair and on his clothes. “We have to get out of here! The village isn’t going to last very long!”

All three flinched as a dragon blast roar blew the house nearby to smithereens—leaving nothing behind in its wake. 

“What about the other villagers? Is there anyone still alive?” Krystal asked desperately, tightening her hold around the unconscious Natsu in her arms. She had never thought that Lilycove would be subjected to a dragon attack. 

“We can’t help them anymore!” Zeref was the one to answer. “We have to get out of here! Come on, Krystal!” He grasped Krystal by her wrist and tugged her towards the entrance of the village. “Enoch!” Enoch was quick to keep pace with them. “Where’s your sister?” Zeref asked Enoch urgently, knowing that unlike him, Enoch only has an older sister who is also the village’s seamstress. The shaking of his head told him everything. “Come on, we have to get out of here!” 

“To the nearby forest.” Enoch said, his voice shaking. “Come on! The village isn’t going to remain standing for long!”

Krystal took one last look back at the village of her birth before Zeref led her away. Her last sight of it was the powers of the two battling dragons hitting the tiny village, thus reducing it to nothing but rubble.

 

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

“Natsu! Wake up please!” Zeref pleaded. “Come on! Don’t scare me! Natsu!” He tapped at his brother’s cheek. “Please…! Don’t die!”

The three pre-teens have found themselves back at the forest where Enoch and Krystal were at a few hours ago, only stopping their run when they couldn’t hear the sounds of dragons roaring any longer. Now, the three teens were fussing over the unconscious four-year-old.

Mages are a rarity in Fiore, with most of the mundanes—the non-magical people looking at mages as freaks. It doesn’t really help that the dragons are literally wrecking chaos on the land as it is as well. Lilycove is one of the few villages out there that actually accepts mages. There are actually a few mages in their village as well, but their powers aren’t very strong.

Zeref and Krystal’s parents are mages themselves, and Zeref and Krystal found out that they possessed magical abilities when they were about five. Their parents have then taught them to control their magic, and even taught them some of _their_ own magic. 

“His injuries are too serious.” Enoch’s lips are twisted in a grim line even as he tried to stop the bleeding. And it is even worse that none of them knew any healing magic.

 _Please… Don’t die…! Zeref wouldn’t be able to take it if you die too!_ Krystal thought to herself grimly, trying to remember whatever that she could of emergency treatment. Living in a village that had majority relying on hunting as their trade had seen loads of injuries. Hence, most of the people within Lilycove knew emergency first-aid.

Then, all of a sudden, it is like time had stopped for the world.

Both Zeref and Krystal’s heads snapped up, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

“What—” 

_Will you answer my call now, my master?_

Krystal started looking in several directions at once.

She recognised that voice.

She had been hearing it in dreams for as long as she could remember. Dreams that she couldn’t make head or tail of, and dreams that she couldn’t remember the moment that she had woken up—but isn’t that the whole point of dreams anyway? 

Dreams filled with shouting, and flashes of green light. And feelings of hatred, anger, sadness and terror. Even _regret._

_…Please…! Don’t die…!_

She remembers those words—the voice crying out to her in plea. The voice sounded so familiar to her, yet she couldn’t quite remember whose voice that belonged to.

_…My master, will you answer my call now? You alone hold the power to command me. Deep within you, you still remember how to command me._

“What?” Zeref was bewildered. “What’s going on?” 

Krystal stared at Zeref. He can hear it too? But… Enoch couldn’t, right? She stared at their other friend who was frozen in time. 

_…If you wish to save him—to gain the power to save him, you only need to ask. My master, you only need to command me. Reach deep within you. You still remember it. You **know** how to call on me. I’ve told you before…_

A deep pulsating sound started drumming deep within Krystal and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. That voice… It’s just so familiar… A familiar presence… She feels as if she should know it…

_…I’ve taught you what to do in order to call on me…_

Krystal is starting to feel like she’s on fire. She grabbed at her right shoulder—it feels as if something is burning into her skin behind her shoulder.

“Kris?” Zeref’s concerned voice attracted her attention, and she turned to face him. Silvery-blue eyes met concerned dark eyes.

  _…I’ve told you what to do in order for me to respond to your orders…_

Krystal closed her eyes, trying to will the pounding pain in her head away.

What is this? It feels so familiar…

Call on him? Call on _whom?_

Yet, she feels as if she _should_ know it. She should know whom this voice belongs to.

She _knows_ who he is.

 

_I only answer to one and one only…_

Krystal huffed, clutching at her collar.

“I…know this voice…” she murmured, just vaguely aware of the fact that Zeref is looking at her with concern.

_…Death only follows one master. I answer to no one else._

 

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

One night later, and Zeref Dragneel was trying very hard to ignore the stares on his person from Enoch Cross.

“Will you kindly explain to me why you’re currently trying to glare a hole through me, Enoch?” Zeref asked, irritated, finally giving up on trying to tend to the hideous burn on his left arm—caused when trying to prevent the burning beam of wood from crushing his head back in Lilycove.

“I want some explanations, Zeref.” Enoch said, irritated. “What is _that?_ All of a sudden, you and Krystal both seem to know what to do in order to save Natsu. And since when could Krystal create lacrimas and put your brother in stasis?”

Zeref fell silent.

_Death._

He came answering their call last night. He _gave_ them the power to save Natsu, and for that, Zeref will forever be thankful. He couldn’t care less that it’s the very personification of Death—akin to the Death Reaper in old wives’ tales that parents in Lilycove uses to scare their kids into obeying them. Hell, his own mother had often used it as stories when Zeref was really small to make him obey her when he was disobedient.

But it also definitely didn’t escape Zeref’s notice last night that Death _only_ answers to Krystal. He had even stated as much—that _Krystal_ is his master.

He will follow no one else.

Zeref closed his eyes. He feels as if it might be better if he just kept quiet about the whole Krystal-being-Death’s-master thing. Magic is still a pretty taboo topic for the people of Fiore—even the world. Even though Zeref still don’t know much about magic, even he knew enough that anything relating to death is looked upon as forbidden.

He sure doesn’t want people hunting Krystal down.

Krystal only accepted it—being recognised as Death’s master _because_ of Natsu. And for that, Zeref will forever be thankful. Even so, Zeref knew Krystal well enough to know that she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t want to.

Krystal had said it a long time ago when they were kids—when some of the girls in the village had bullied her mercilessly for always hanging out with a boy. No one can make her make a decision _against_ her will. She makes her own choices.

“…Magic.” Zeref said at last, facing Enoch.

“Yes, I know that. I want to know _what_ happened.” Enoch said irritably. “I’ve known you both nearly my entire life, and I never knew that you both could do something like that! The most that Kris could do ever since we knew that we have _some_ talent in magic is to make water dance from the stream near the village. And then before I know it, she had created a huge block of lacrima from the river and placed Natsu in sealing stasis within it before you both sealed him in the Lost Cave, saying that he has to recover on his own.”

After all, neither Zeref nor Krystal ever had any formal training in the mage arts. The only training school for mages only accepts students aged thirteen and above—never younger than that. Zeref’s parents have actually been alumni there—and so were Krystal’s parents. It is why they were such close friends.

“…Enoch, I don’t want to talk about it. And please, if you still respect me as your friend, don’t budge Krystal about it too.” Zeref said at last. Enoch looks as if he is about to argue, but finally, he sighed, giving up, and slumping back down onto the forest ground, leaning with his back against the tree. “The village… So it’s really been destroyed.”

Enoch nodded, having gone back there to investigate after the entire fiasco. It had been razed down to the ground—not a single thing was left. Such was the might of the dragons—the rulers of the skies.

“What are we going to do now?” Enoch asked at last, examining the burns on his arms, and the various bruises and abrasions that he had gotten whilst making the escape from Lilycove.

Both Zeref and Krystal were in as much the same position, though the two had worst injuries, as they have been in the middle of a collapsing and burning house whilst he wasn’t. He had actually found his sister dead outside their house—apparently killed by a dragon blast. That’s when he had gone running towards Zeref’s house to find his two childhood friends—praying to whatever deity that had existed that they had survived. 

Zeref was silent. “…I want to head for Mildian City,” he said at last, and Enoch raised an eyebrow. “My mother told me about it before. She said that the magic academy is based there. She had actually intended to send both Krystal and me there once we turn thirteen. I want to learn more magic.” He admitted. “Maybe… I can heal Natsu.” 

Enoch stared at his hands. “…Maybe… I can bring back my sister too,” he whispered. Silence fell between the two boys for several moments before Enoch looked at Zeref again. “…Zeref, can you go and check on Krystal? I think she’s still at the river. If we want to get to Mildian, we need to get to the nearest town and try to get some supplies at least. And we need a map. If I’m not wrong, it’s going to take us several weeks of travel on foot.”

“Why me?” Zeref asked. But even as he asked, he was already getting to his feet, brushing off snowflakes from his clothes that have several singed patches on it.

Enoch’s eyes were devoid of emotion even as he looked at Zeref. “…Because I’m not the one that she cares for,” he said blandly. Zeref nodded with a small smile and headed towards the direction of the river, leaving footprints behind in the snow covered ground. Enoch listened as the sounds of Zeref’s footsteps disappeared before he sighed, staring at his clasped hands. “…Why can’t it be me?” He whispered.

 

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

Zeref only just had to follow the sounds of flowing water in order to get to the river.

He, along with Krystal and Enoch were pretty familiar with the Western Forest as they have often played here as children, and knew it back to front. When they were old enough to begin hunting in order to earn income for their families, they learned the trade of hunting from the other boys of the village. Before Zeref’s father had passed away last year, he had even taught Zeref, Krystal and sometimes Enoch how to control their fluctuating magic. 

While Lilycove is one of the rare few villages in Fiore to accept mages, the few mages in Lilycove were still careful to keep their powers contained and controlled to not scare their fellow villagers.

Finally, the river came into view, and Zeref found that his feet seem to be frozen to the ground as he stared.

That day is pretty warm for winter, and thus, it isn’t as cold as Zeref had feared, as neither one of the trio had their coats or their cloaks. Everything that they had ever owned had been destroyed after all, and all that they had are the clothes on their backs and the bow and arrows that Enoch had. Also not forgetting Krystal’s faithful owl, Hedwig who had been following them since they’ve left.

Krystal had found the snowy owl as an owlet last year—barely able to do more than flutter about, and Zeref’s mother had also said that the owl had bonded to her as her familiar. Mages’ familiars, like what Emily Dragneel had explained, bonds for life. Basically, even for an animal with a short lifespan, if they have bonded to a mage as their familiar, as long as their master still lives, they’ll live too. Familiars are loyal for life—they’ll gladly give their life for their master if they have to.

Zeref gulped as he saw Krystal standing waist-high in the waters of the river, currently devoid of clothing, and obviously having a bath. As Lilycove is located in one of the colder regions to begin with, most of the citizens were used to bathing in cold water. 

Startled, Krystal looked up just then, and their eyes met.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t see anything, I swear!” Zeref turned his back on Krystal immediately, blushing to the roots of his hair. “I didn’t realise that you were taking a bath.”

He hoped that Krystal didn’t notice that he is blushing. As he’d grown up with Krystal, he didn’t really see her as a girl _girl_ until recently. One of the big boys had been frowning just the other day when he had dragged Krystal to go hunting with him, and when he had returned, the big boy had dragged him away to a corner and asked him bluntly what did Zeref think he’s doing by dragging a young lady with him on something that is supposed to be a man’s job? And he shouldn’t be treating Krystal like she’s a boy either.

After that, Zeref had noticed things about Krystal that he had never noticed before. Like how soft her hair looks, and he had to resist the urge to run his hands through them. Or even how beautiful her eyes are—she had inherited those silver-blue eyes from her mother, and Zeref didn’t know anyone else with eyes that colour. 

“…You can look now.” Krystal’s soft voice broke Zeref out from his thoughts, and he turned around hesitantly only to see Krystal rubbing at her right shoulder. 

“Uh… Do you need some help?” Zeref asked, trying not to blush. “All of us are injured, I think. But until we can somehow get some medicine, we have to make do with cold water for our burns.” 

Krystal turned towards Zeref, looking grateful. “Yeah, I think I need a hand,” she said. Zeref looked politely away as she turned her back to him, and shifted the fabric of her shirt enough so that her right shoulder is uncovered. And there, just above her right bicep is a bright red burn.

“This is going to hurt.” Zeref warned as he scooped up some cold water and dripped it over the burn, fighting to keep his eyes on Krystal’s face and her shoulder, and not moving downwards. Damn that boy for alerting him to the fact that Krystal is a _girl,_ and a very pretty one at that. And his mother for giving him the Talk just last month when he had told her about that incident.

Zeref then raised an eyebrow as he spotted something behind Krystal’s right shoulder. It looks almost like a birthmark of some sort. A symbol of a triangle with a circle within it, and then a line through it.

“What?” Krystal asked, turning to face him even as she pulled her shirt on properly.

“Did you always have that?” Zeref asked, pointing behind his right shoulder, and Krystal realised what he’s talking about. “Is that a birthmark or something?” 

“Yeah, I had it as long as I’ve remembered.” Krystal admitted, adjusting her clothes and then turning to face Zeref. This time around, it is her who had tended to Zeref’s wounds, letting the cold water run over the burns. For some reason, the waters in the river of the Western Forest seem to have some healing properties—or so the people of Lilycove believed. “You know, about Death… And the whole thing from yesterday?” She looked at Zeref hesitantly. “I think it’s best if we keep quiet about it.” She admitted.

Zeref nodded. “Yeah, I agree,” he said immediately, and Krystal looked at him, surprised. “I didn’t tell Enoch about it. And while neither one of us have much formal training in the mage arts, even I knew enough about it to know that anything relating to death is always taboo—even for magic.”

Krystal was silent. “…I made my own choice, Zeref. I know what it might potentially cost me,” she said at last, much to his surprise. “You don’t have to feel guilty. Even if I have to make the same decision all over again, I’ll still make the same choice.” 

_I’ll still choose to be Death’s master._

Zeref gave a small smile. “…Okay,” he said. He already knew that Krystal might say that. He was silent for a long time, just watching Krystal rubbing her slender fingers gently over the burns on his arms. “…Hey, Enoch and I have been talking.” Krystal looked up at him. “We want to try to head to Mildian. It might be a long journey by foot, but we’ll manage.” He admitted. “I… We want to learn magic at the academy there. I want to learn something to save Natsu.” He admitted. “And Enoch… He… Well… He wants to find a way to revive his dead sister.”

Krystal frowned, but she said nothing. She knew how close Enoch had been to his older sister. She had all but raised him after their parents died after all. She won’t try to begrudge him on his last wish, but something still feels wrong to her. 

“…Mildian Academy of Magic? The magic training academy that Aunt Emily was talking about? The one that she said she is about to write to, in order to enrol us both in a few months?” Krystal asked, and Zeref nodded. She gave a small smile. “…Yeah. Why not? Maybe… It will help us with the problem with the dragons too.” She admitted. “How many lives have been lost to the Dragon War?” 

“Entirely too many.” Zeref admitted. “Shall we go? Enoch might be wondering where we are.”

Krystal nodded before they both got to their feet and begun the trek back into the forest. She recalled the flashes of green light and the feelings of despair, terror and regret that she had felt so immensely last night when Death had first called on her.

 _I don’t know what that’s all about, but I want to try to live. I want to see the future,_ she thought to herself even as she glanced at Zeref’s side profile. _I want to see the future with Zeref._

 _…And you will,_ Death’s whisper entered her head, as if sensing her resolve. _I swore to protect you, and I will not fail that promise. I only have one master. I will answer to no one else. And I want to see you try._

Krystal closed her eyes briefly as they entered the clearing where they have left Enoch only to see him examining his bow, and he brightened up as he saw them, getting to his feet and brushing off snow from his clothes. The slightly older boy then jogged to meet them.

 _I will. I want to live,_ she promised.


	3. Ankhseram

_“…The person standing in front of me… I don’t know who he is.” - Zeref Dragneel_

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**  

_~April 16, X389; Mildian Forest~_

The chirpings and tweeting of the feathery wildlife are the only sounds that could be heard in this part of the forest south of Mildian City. That, along with the sounds of the river flowing.

A young man around the age of seventeen or eighteen with black hair sat leaning against the trunk of a birch tree not too far away from the riverbank, fast asleep, a thick book with a brown leather cover falling out from his hand. He had on a white overcoat with black rune symbols on it with silver buttons. The symbol of Mildian Academy was etched onto the white overcoat—over the right breast area. Beneath the coat is a black shirt, and he wore a pair of black trousers and boots, with a black belt with silver buckles. A black and white bag lay innocently next to him.

A young black raven sat atop the tree branch just above the young man’s head, chirping at its master. It then raised its head, as there is a low hoot before being followed by the sound of fluttering feathers, and a flash of white swooped down from overhead before landing onto the branch next to the raven.

A young snowy white owl sat haughtily next to the raven, preening at her feathers daintily.

There were the sounds of light footsteps just then as someone walked over the grass of this part of the forest, and a young woman with raven black hair reaching a little below her shoulders and unusual silver-blue eyes then appeared.

She is dressed in a similar fashion as the young man—with her uniform being a more feminine version of Mildian Academy’s attire, and her boots reaches all the way to her calves. She also had on a pair of red and blue bands around her left wrist, with a black choker visible around her slender neck—a blue teardrop pendant hanging from it, with mysterious swirls of golden and silver swirling around within it. A black and white bag similar to the one next to the young man was slung across her chest, resting against her waist, a silver charm hanging from it.

Seventeen-year-old Krystal Nightray gave a small smile as she spied the young man sleeping against the birch tree.

“There you are.” Krystal muttered fondly, a soft look entering her eyes as she spied the sleeping Zeref. She then raised her head to see her owl nestled next to the young raven, with said owl preening her feathers daintily. “Thanks for leading me, Hedwig.” She called out to her owl who gave a hoot in response. “And thanks for staying with Zeref, Zeke.”

Zeke—the young black raven chirped at her in response.

The young raven was found by Zeref a few months ago when the pair was on one of their walks through the Mildian Forest. Ever since their enrolment into the magic academy, they have often taken breaks in the Mildian Forest during their free time. During their earlier years, Enoch had often joined them. But of late, their childhood friend had been drawing away from them, preferring to spend time alone doing who-knows-what.

Krystal had assumed initially that because it had always been the three of them since early childhood, and it wasn’t until a year ago when Zeref and Krystal have started dating that Enoch had felt suddenly uncomfortable around them, and had hence opted to give them some alone time.

Several of the girls in Krystal’s year had often teased her and Zeref for being so close that they’ve often wondered why they aren’t dating yet. It wasn’t until the school’s annual dance a year ago when Zeref had finally plucked up the courage to ask Krystal to go with him—that year being the first time that they were allowed to go, as only third and fourth year students were allowed to attend the dance. One thing then lead to another, and before Krystal even knew what is going on, Zeref was kissing her beneath the moonlight night at the lake, being surrounded by fireflies, and he was then asking her to become his girlfriend. 

It had taken the trio nearly a month of travel to arrive at Mildian City four years ago, with them hunting and scavenging whatever they could for food. The Headmaster of Mildian Academy had taken an interest in them then and had sponsored them into the academy.

Also, due to the entire situation with the dragons as well as the hatred that several mundanes have with the mages, the curriculum of the academy had been adjusted as compared to its founding from nearly fifty years ago, thus training the students to be battle mages—or at least, able to hold their own in a battle.

Magic, like what Krystal had quickly found out during the first month isn’t something as easy as just calling upon your magic and willing it to do things for you. Generally, the magic power of the mage is wholly reliant on the strength of the mage’s feelings. The stronger their feelings, the stronger their magic.

While there are examples in the past of a mage utilising the strength of negative feelings like hatred to power their magic, it is ill advised to do so. As no matter how strong their heart and will, the more a mage uses negative feelings to power their magic, the easier it is for them to fall prey to Dark Magic. 

The first year instructor, Professor Meyers is an extremely hands-on instructor. The first couple of months are mainly spent building up their physical strength and endurance in order to be able to utilise stronger magic. As Krystal, Zeref and Enoch were already pretty well built physically and had pretty decent endurance to begin with due to what they’ve done for a living back in Lilycove, they’ve found it pretty easy to access their magic whilst mediating.

Zeref had quickly outshone most of their peers, having a natural affinity towards battle magic—elemental magic especially. He had a particular strong affinity towards fire. Enoch on the other hand specialises more in non-elemental magic—space manipulation and teleportation especially.

As for Krystal, it was a surprise to even the professors when they learned that Krystal much like Zeref had a strong affinity towards elemental magic. But unlike Zeref who had a natural affinity towards _all_ elemental magic, Krystal had an affinity towards lightning, water and wind magic to the point that it is enough for her to control the weather. Also, due to water being one of Krystal’s affinities, she is also learning Healing Magic.

When they’ve first started the actual training on magic and they’ve found out about Krystal’s affinity towards Healing Magic, she had actually muttered something about being able to patch up Zeref and Enoch should they get themselves injured.

Mildian Academy has four years of mage training, and during their fourth and final year, the students are supposed to pick a topic to present as their thesis. It is acceptable for students to pick an already done topic, but the students are generally encouraged to explore topics that are still relatively left unknown and to present it to the magic community.

Krystal walked over to the sleeping Zeref, sitting down beside him and shaking his shoulder gently. “…Zeref. Wake up.”

“Hmm?”

Zeref blinked sleepy eyes opened, rubbing at them with a fist. “…Morning, Krystal,” he muttered sleepily, picking up the abandoned book next to him and placing it within his magic bag.

All students at Mildian were given one at their time of enrolment. As it’s name sounds, the magic bag had strong properties of spatial magic woven into it, thus allowing them to place an unlimited number of things within it, and yet, it will never be filled and is always feather-light, thus allowing the mage to carry an unlimited number of items with them. As the mage enters their third year of Mildian Academy, they will gradually learn how to ward the bag so that only the mage themselves or people they trust will be able to handle or even access the items inside. 

“Fallen asleep outside again?” Krystal smiled, patting down her skirt as she sat on her knees next to Zeref, placing her own magic bag beside her on the forest ground. “You can really sleep anywhere, couldn’t you?” 

Zeref smiled sheepishly at Krystal, rubbing at the back of his head. He then glanced upwards only to see Zeke and Hedwig having their own conversation with each other with a series of hoots and chirps. 

“…Hedwig led you here, didn’t she?” Zeref stated more than questioned, since it had happened since day one. Animals simply loved Krystal, and at times, it is like she could even understand them. 

“Yeah.” Krystal nodded. “I need to get away from the dorms a bit too.” She admitted. Seeing Zeref’s enquiring look, she sighed. Well, it is what she had wanted to talk to Zeref about, seeing as how Enoch is _nowhere_ to be found! “…Look, you know the presentation that we each have to give about a topic relating to magic last week to the professors at the school-wide seminar?” Zeref nodded dumbly—as it is a pair work, he had teamed up with Enoch for it whilst Krystal had paired up with her roommate. “Well, you know the topic that you and Enoch presented that had the entire school as well as the professors spellbound?”

Zeref nodded slowly. He and Enoch have gotten full marks for that particular presentation, but the head professor, Professor Keynes doesn’t seem too impressed or happy about their topic that is one relating to Death Magic. 

It is forbidden territory, even for mages. Magic relating to Death Magic or even magic that would revive a dead person is considered forbidden territory, as it breaches the rules of the balance of life—something that every mage must know. 

Equivalent Exchange. 

The stronger the magic, the higher the price the mage has to pay. Usually, it is in terms of their magic power. But the more extreme ones sometimes requires the mage to pay for it with their life.

“The one we presented about the two magic techniques that Enoch and I have been researching and in the midst of creating?”

“…Well, I don’t think you can really call it a ‘technique’, but yes.” Krystal nodded, her expression grim. “…The R-System and the Eclipse Gate.” She said, and Zeref looked surprised.

The basis of the research that Zeref and Enoch have delved into for the past four years has gone into these two techniques, and had also presented as such. While they didn’t go into detail and didn’t even mention the R-System and the Eclipse Gate during their presentation, Krystal had known about it, as both boys have shown her the on-going process.

“What about it?” Zeref asked, reaching into his magic bag and drawing out the notebook that had his notes on the R-System and the Eclipse Gate. Likewise, Enoch had a similar set of notes, as it is _their_ research after all.

Years being friends with Krystal had instilled the habit into keeping good notes on their research, as amongst the three of them, it is Krystal who is the most academically inclined. She had saved their asses loads of times whenever it came time for the exam period. While Zeref isn’t too bad with the academics himself, it is Enoch who always had problems with theory. Much like Zeref, it is the practical that he had always excelled at, though Krystal isn’t too bad at magic execution herself.

Krystal said nothing for several moments even as she reached over and flipped open Zeref’s notebook with a slender finger, seeing the figures and numbers written and drawn on the pages in Zeref’s neat handwriting. The two boys have often came to Krystal with their notes whenever they have something that they do not understand, and Krystal had already seen their notes on their research into the boundaries between life and death thousands of times.

At that time however, as they were just curious about the ‘forbidden territory’, Krystal had kept quiet, as she knew that Professor Keyes is extremely hard headed and would never accept any reason for delving into research into the forbidden territory—Forbidden Magic. Thus, she had kept quiet so as to not get Zeref and Enoch into trouble. 

But as they’ve entered their third year, what had started from morbid curiosity had soon delved into creating something that caused alarms to go off in Krystal’s head, and what had made her uneasy every single time she stepped into the laboratory where Zeref and Enoch spent majority of their time—delving into their research.

Mildian students in third year and up could bid for a private research room to be shared amongst two students or more, and Enoch and Zeref have done that at the end of their second year. Technically, Krystal had a claim on it too, as her name was on the request paper to begin with, but as most of Krystal’s magic focus is more on elemental magic and rune magic, much of her ‘research’ is actually done outside where she wouldn’t run the risk of destroying the school accidentally. 

“This is what I meant.” Krystal said, looking at Zeref in the eye, her index finger tapping gently onto the pages of Zeref’s notebook. On it was drawn figures and even pictures of the magic circles of the R-System. “Because it is a topic that no one had ever delved into before, it is true that you and Enoch captured their attention at the seminar last month.” Zeref looked into Krystal’s silver-blue eyes, recognising that this is a serious matter with Krystal’s tone of voice. “But research into the boundaries of life and death and resurrection of the dead are forbidden territories for a reason, Zeref!” She said firmly. “You do remember the lecture that Professor Meyers sat us all through for over two hours during our first year, do you? Especially when she taught us about all the do’s and don’ts of magic and what we as mages could do and could not do?”

Zeref nodded grimly, now understanding what Krystal is concerned about.

Mages as a whole made up the minority of Ishgar, and majority of them were viewed with fear and mistrust simply because of what they could do. It doesn’t really help that the Dragon War had been waging on for nearly six years now, and the destruction caused in its wake doesn’t adhere the mundanes to the mages and the magical creatures any.

Thus, even for the mages, there are rules in place—set by the International Magic Council. There aren’t many of them, but the most prominent rule had been the Sacred Creed—no mage is to attempt Forbidden Magic—the resurrection or reanimation of the dead. Any mage caught attempting such a thing would be treated as an outlaw. 

Zeref placed a hand to his forehead, his brows furrowing as he dug deep into his memories.

Come to think of it, why was it that he had wanted to attend Mildian Academy and become a better mage to begin with? Isn’t it because he had wanted to find a way to heal Natsu?

Even now, after nearly four years since two dragons battling had totally decimated Lilycove Village and had nearly killed Natsu to the point that Krystal had to hastily create a healing lacrima out of the healing waters of the river near Lilycove and put Natsu in a healing sleep within it, the little boy still isn’t showing any signs of being anywhere stable enough to be released from the lacrima. As a result, Natsu still has to stay in stasis, and thus, hasn’t aged since that day. 

As for Krystal, her reasons for enrolling into Mildian is similar to Zeref’s, and she had admitted once to Zeref that she wanted to become stronger and to learn more magic so that she could prevent a disaster like the one that had befallen Lilycove from happening again. She was actually happy when Professor Meyers had informed her that she had an affinity for Healing Magic due to her secondary affinity with water. And with Zeref’s affinities with battle magic, Krystal is actually a shoe-in for his second—his combat support partner should he go down the route as a battle mage.

For Enoch however, his reasons were darker than either Krystal or Zeref’s. Enoch’s parents have passed away when he was little, and he was raised by his older sister who was only about thirteen then. His sister is everything to Enoch. Thus, when the dragons decimated Lilycove and they’ve enrolled at Mildian, Enoch was determined to learn every kind of magic there is in the hopes of finding a spell capable of reviving his older sister. The lecture by Professor Meyers didn’t change his mind any.

In fact, it had actually been Enoch who had came up with the idea to delve into ‘forbidden research’. There are times when Zeref had been hesitant, wondering if they’re really doing the right thing, especially this year when their research is bordering on completion. 

R-System and the Eclipse Gate.

Those are the fruits of their combined labour.

Magic techniques that might even change the magic world at its peak.

Krystal placed a hand on Zeref’s arm, and he looked at her. Krystal looked worried and concerned, biting onto her bottom lip. “…Zeref, I got a bad feeling about this ‘research’,” she admitted. “Please. Drop it. Forget everything. For me?”

Zeref chewed on his bottom lip.

Honestly, he got a bad feeling too. As for Enoch, he seems to be bordering on obsessive with his research. There are days when he had practically slept at the lab that it actually took either Zeref or Krystal, and sometimes even the two of them combined just to drag Enoch to class.

He no longer wants to just hang out with them like before or even join some of their peers in a game of underwater volleyball and other sports. He just prefers to coop himself up in their shared laboratory to the point that several of the younger years were muttering something about Enoch being a vampire.

His personality had changed a lot too, as compared to how Enoch had been when they were kids. His personality seems darker somehow, and he is more silent and sullen even. It actually adhere him more to the silly squealing girls that make up nearly half of Mildian’s female population. But the other half as well as the male population often found themselves uneasy around Enoch. It is like there is evil or even Forbidden Magic clinging to his very skin, like what Anna, Krystal’s roommate had admitted once to her. His aura had become dark too. 

It is like Zeref and Krystal don’t even know Enoch anymore.

Looking at pleading eyes made Zeref cave in immediately. He swore—after the attack on Lilycove and Krystal had nearly half-killed herself just to get both him and Natsu out of their burning and collapsing house as two dragons battled it out in the skies above them that he would protect Krystal for as long as he live.

He will protect her smile.

He had promised Krystal’s mother on her deathbed years ago after all as she lay dying, asking Zeref to take care of her daughter.

“All right.” Zeref gave Krystal a soft smile, shifting his position so that he could wrap an arm around Krystal’s slender shoulders. “I promise. I’ll let Enoch know once we return to the school, okay? I’ll try to convince him too.”

Krystal smiled and nodded. “I have something for you too,” she said, as she reached for her magic bag, reaching within it and searching about for several moments. She then pulled out a black velvet cloth, and Zeref raised a brow. “I made this in Enchantments class.” Krystal unwrapped the black velvet cloth, and lying on the cloth is a silver necklace with a circular pendant hanging from it. Within the silver pendant is a dark blue sapphire gem—not unlike the teardrop pendant hanging from Krystal’s neck. And it had swirls of golden, silver and red within it—giving it an almost mystical look. “I weaved protections within it.” Krystal explained to Zeref. “It’ll protect you from harmful magic—magic that has the intention to harm you. I’ve originally made it as a pair to this—” Krystal pointed at the choker hanging around her neck, “but as the enchantments I weaved into yours is a little complicated, it took me some time to finish it.”

Zeref smiled. “Enchantment magic—protection magic into objects,” he said. “Your speciality, Kris.” Krystal blushed and nodded, holding the necklace out to Zeref. “I’ll accept it with thanks.” 

Krystal undo the clasp holding the silver chain together before reaching over to Zeref and placing the necklace around his neck. Zeref almost shivered at the sensation of feeling Krystal’s fingers on his neck, and due to how close that she is to him, he could even smell the shampoo that she uses for her hair.

“There. Done.” Krystal sat back on her knees, smiling. “It’ll give me some peace of mind at least.”

Zeref smiled at Krystal. “…Thank you,” he said, feeling slightly guilty at the worry that he must have caused Krystal for years unknowingly, delving into the research topics that he did. He cradled the back of Krystal’s neck, drawing her near before pressing his lips against hers. 

Krystal stiffened in his arms for a moment before she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his gestures. Zeref thought absently for a moment that he is glad that no one ever comes out into this part of the Mildian Forest.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Enoch Cross watched from behind a tree within the Mildian Forest, a faint hint of jealousy and rage burning within his crimson orbs even as he rammed a fist against the tree that he is hiding behind.

“…Why can’t it be me…?” Enoch murmured, asking himself the same question that he had asked over and over ever since the three of them have left Lilycove after that fateful day. Sure, he probably had himself to blame too for always sitting on his thumbs and doing nothing, when he knew that Zeref had liked Krystal and vice-versa.

But the fact is that there is always _only_ Zeref and Krystal. No one else could come in between them. Even during the early days of their friendship as kids, there is a type of understanding and bond between the two that he had never understood.

The fact that Hedwig, Krystal’s familiar had accepted Zeref as her mistress’s partner is a rather large giveaway. Enoch understood enough about mages’ familiars that the only way they would allow another mage to touch them or even be able to find someone without it being their own bonded is if the mentioned is their bonded’s partner. 

Ever since early childhood, it is always Zeref that Krystal always went to for help or advice. Sure, she liked him enough as a trusted friend, but never more than that. 

Then the school’s annual dance last year.

He had almost thought that he could hear his own heart breaking when he had came across Zeref kissing Krystal at the river—at the exact same place where they are right now.

And he knew then that whatever chances that he had _assumed_ that he had with the girl that he had been in love with nearly his entire life is never there to begin with. 

Enoch looked away, his fingers reaching within his magic bag and feeling the familiar touch of his precious notebook—details and notes of all his research written within it. He doesn’t care even if it’s ‘forbidden territory’ or even classified as Forbidden Magic. Zeref had helped with a large part of it, and Krystal had given some pointers and helped out a bit in the beginning before she started to feel uneasy.

He is so close now! He is this close to figuring out a way to resurrect his sister!

He doesn’t even care at this point even if he’s branded as an outlaw and kicked out of the Academy.

After all…

“…I have nothing else left to lose…” Enoch murmured to himself before beginning the trek back to the school.

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

“Evening Zeref.” One of their classmates greeted Zeref as he entered the common room of the boys’ dorms. “Professor Keynes had been looking for you and Enoch. He doesn’t look happy.” He warned Zeref, with it being common knowledge that every single time a student was summoned by Professor Keynes, it generally boils into a _long_ lecture by that long-winded old fogey.

“Keynes?” Zeref almost groaned, not wanting to meet that grumpy old professor who never seems to like any student that walked through Mildian’s halls. The only exception had to be Krystal. “By the way, have you seen Enoch?” He asked, expertly changing the subject.

It is an hour before dinner, and majority of the boys were lounging about in the common room. If not that, then they are either in their rooms finishing up some work or even in their private labs—with the latter being something that Enoch most likely is doing.

His classmate shrugged. “Haven’t seen him all day. He didn’t even come to class today,” he admitted. “Keynes is pretty pissed. Krystal had been searching for him too, I think. She said something about going to the forest to find him.” He added. “You might find Enoch down in his labs again. Honestly, you will think that the guy might as well move his bed down there, with the amount of time that he spent in there.” He grumbled.

Zeref chuckled. “Well, I might as well try my luck in dragging him out,” he said before turning and leaving the common room with a backwards wave. “Save me a seat at dinner, would you? And if Krystal came by, tell her where I’ve gone." 

“Sure!”

The small smile on Zeref’s face slid away almost immediately the moment that he had stepped outside the common room. He furrowed his brows. He sincerely hoped that Enoch would listen to him. Of late, his best friend had become someone whom he doesn’t even recognise anymore. 

Picking up his pace, Zeref then took the route that would take him to the private laboratory that had belonged to him and Enoch since their third year. He met no one on the way there, as everyone—even the professors are most likely chilling out in their rooms.

Finally, Zeref arrived at the wing of the school where all the private laboratories are located, and came to a stop before the door belonging to the shared laboratory that Zeref shared with Enoch. He could already sense Enoch behind that door, along with a sudden spike in magic. 

Zeref knocked on the door. “Enoch, I’m coming in,” he announced before opening the door and entering.

There is a strange purple light lighting up the room—with its source being the large purple magic circle almost covering the entirety of the floor of the room. Loose papers were scattered all over the floor, and there is even a half-finished device tucked at the back of the room—the Eclipse Gate that Zeref and Enoch have been trying to build for awhile now, though the majority of the work put into it had been Enoch as Zeref had been working on his thesis whilst Enoch had every intention to use their research to present as his thesis at the end of the year.

“…Zeref?” Enoch looked up from where he is kneeling onto the ground, and the purple glow died down the moment that Enoch is no longer powering it with his magic power. “What is it?”

Zeref frowned, before deciding to go straight to the point. “…Look Enoch, I’ve been thinking… And I’ve even talked about this with Kris,” he said hesitantly, noting the dark expression that had been appearing in Enoch’s eyes whenever Krystal’s name passed his lips, or even whenever Krystal appeared with Zeref before Enoch. “This…research that we’ve been doing… The R-System… The Eclipse Gate…” Zeref hesitated, looking at the half-finished Eclipse Gate. Why did he never feel this before? There is a tingling of something dark and ominous in the air. It is the air of Forbidden Magic. Not the Black Arts that is the term for the best of the battle magicks that so many of the students at the school specialises in—having delved on the path of being a battle mage, but something more sinister. “Enoch, let’s drop this. It really gives me a bad feeling. And don’t you remember the lecture from our first year? That we are not to touch or even go near anything relating to Forbidden Magic, especially the art of Necromancy—the art of resurrecting the dead.”

Enoch shook his head. “I can’t stop anymore,” he said. His face was pale, and he looked thinner than Zeref had remembered. When was the last time when Enoch had gotten something to eat, or even gotten some sun? “…I don’t have anything else left to lose either way. This is the only thing I’ve got left. I _will_ bring my sister back! And nothing you or Kris say or do is going to stop me!”

Zeref hesitated. That look in Enoch’s eyes… It is almost bordering on insanity. Why had he never seen this before?

Zeref closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, resisting the urge to call upon his sword from his space manipulation. “…The person standing in front of me… I don’t know who he is.” Zeref said at long last. “…You’re not the Enoch that I knew anymore. Who are you?”

Before Enoch could give a reply to that question, the door to the laboratory flew opened with a loud crash, and Zeref turned only to see Professor Keynes standing at the entrance, a furious expression on his face. The head professor is an elderly man of nearly sixty, but still extremely active and powerful as a mage. Unfortunately, he is also a stubborn old man, and rare is the student that ever managed to get anything better than a ‘B’ grade in his classes. 

“Professor Keynes.” Zeref greeted with a dip of his head, letting his magic aura die away.

Professor Keynes’s eyes flickered towards Zeref for a moment before he nodded. “So you’re here too, Dragneel,” he said in a gruff voice. “Good. I don’t have to hunt you down then.” His storm gray eyes then flickered over the room, resting longer than normal on the half-finished device at the back of the room, and then on the rune symbols etched on the floor that had brought up the magic circle from earlier. A disgusted and enraged expression appeared on the professor’s face. “So this is what you’ve been doing for all these years, Cross? Dabbling into Forbidden Magic?”

Enoch looked up at Professor Keynes blankly, not feeling intimidated in the least with the professor’s anger that is generally enough to scare a few students into fleeing. “With all due respect, sir, it is only ‘Forbidden Magic’ because it is unknown territory,” he said calmly, using the same argument that he had used on Krystal and Zeref when they have first confronted him on it back in first year.

Professor Keynes’s famous temper reared its head just then. “And it is _forbidden_ for a reason, you fool!” he thundered, almost causing Zeref to jump. “I could feel it since the beginning of this year, you rascal! All the professors could! And any fourth year student worth their weight in salt could probably sense it too! The tinge of Forbidden Magic almost coating your skin! And now I come down here only to find this!” He waved his hand towards the half-finished Eclipse Gate and the rune symbols on the ground. His eyes snapped towards Zeref who resisted the urge to flinch. “And you! Dragneel, have you been attempting anything to do with Forbidden Magic?”

Of course Professor Keynes would ask him this, since it is pretty common knowledge amongst the school that Enoch and Zeref have been involved in some unknown research since their first year. The seminar that they’ve presented their topic of research last month likely didn’t help Zeref’s case either. 

“…No sir.” Zeref admitted. “I was going to inform you and the Headmaster about it after telling Enoch. I’m going to pull out of this research. Krystal convinced me to.” He added.

Professor Keynes frowned at Zeref, and for a moment, he thought that the professor is going to yell at him. “…At least one of you had some common sense,” he said gruffly before turning back towards Enoch. “You’ve gotten all the warnings that we could give, and this is the last straw, Cross.” A roll of parchment with the school’s wax seal on it appeared in a flash of light, landing into his hand as Professor Keynes walked towards Enoch who got to his feet. “As of tonight, you’re no longer a student at Mildian Academy. Pack your bags by tonight and leave! This is the letter of expulsion!” He threw the roll of parchment at Enoch who didn’t bother to catch it, letting the roll of parchment fall to the ground. An unknown expression was visible in those crimson orbs.

Zeref’s eyes widened. Expulsion? There hasn’t been one in years!

“And you, Dragneel.” Professor Keynes turned towards the stunned Zeref. “Let this serve as a warning to you too. You’re one of our brightest students. You along with Nightray serve as a beacon of hope to the mages and to the magic community. Do not let yourself get consumed by research into Forbidden Magic!”

Zeref’s eyes then widened in horror, as behind Professor Keynes, he could see the enraged expression on Enoch’s face before being followed by the burst of black aura now emanating from Enoch’s body. 

“Professor!” Zeref called out in warning, completely missing the fact that the gem of the silver necklace around his neck is glowing with a warm golden light. 

The look of shock and horror on Professor Keynes’s face was the last thing that Zeref remembered, even as a burst of black miasma exploded, and the entire school building exploded.

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

_~Mildian Forest; South of Mildian City~_

“Not here too.” Krystal sighed, brushing her bangs out of her hair even as she leaned against the trunk of the nearby tree, having searched the entire forest for Enoch now ever since failing to locate his presence in the school earlier and had assumed that he is out in the forest. “Where could he be?” Hedwig gave a hoot from overhead and swooped down, landing onto her right shoulder. A scant moment later, Zeke landed on her other shoulder. “And shouldn’t you be with Zeref?” Krystal scolded Zeke who gave a series of chirps. “I’ve never heard of a familiar that follows someone who’s not their bonded before!” She huffed. 

Zeke gave a series of chirps—almost as if he’s arguing, and Krystal sighed. Figures that Zeref will have a familiar that is as stubborn as he is. And on top of it, said familiar is a raven too. Though the one good thing about Zeref having a raven as a familiar is that at least Hedwig will have some company in the form of a feathered friend even if said friend isn’t an owl. 

“It’s nearly dinnertime, I guess.” Krystal murmured, looking up at the skies only to see that the sun is setting, with the skies slowly turning to night. “I should get back—” 

BOOM!

Krystal squeaked as she lost her balance and fell to the forest ground even as the earth shook and a loud explosion rocked the air, thus causing several birds to take flight from the trees. Hedwig and Zeke took to the nearest tree bough above her head in fright, hooting and chirping frantically. 

“What is that…?” Krystal finally regained her composure and her balance even as she got to her feet gingerly. She frowned, as she could detect strong signs of the aura of Forbidden Magic in the air. 

Krystal had always been extremely sensitive to the changes in nature and in magic—due to her unusual ability to control the weather due to her uncanny ability to control the elements of lightning, water and wind almost like it’s part of her.

The type of magic that a person uses after a long time will cling to their skin like some sort of scent. There is a reason why Krystal could sense the tinge of Forbidden Magic clinging to Enoch after all. And she is fairly sure that the professors at least could sense it too. 

Krystal then frowned, as the explosion that she had just heard seems to have come from the school…

“Hedwig! Zeke!” 

The two birds took flight immediately towards the direction of Mildian Academy at the sound of their names, and Krystal took chase immediately, praying that she is not too late, and that everything is fine.

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Krystal’s eyes widened in horror even as she stood panting, having ran all the way from Mildian Forest, at the sight that now greeted her eyes. 

The once majestic building of Mildian Academy of Magic is no more. What lies in its place is a gigantic crater—like something large had just landed with a heavy impact. Strong waves of magic are visible in the air, though something about it seems ominous to Krystal.

“…Zeref…! Enoch!” Krystal muttered before she leapt down to the crater, landing with a light thud on her feet.

She then froze, as the concentration of magic is extremely potent here—Enoch’s magical power is all over it, but it gives her a bad feeling. She then knelt down to the ground, seeing black miasmas all over the cratered ground—visible in the orange-red rays of the setting sun, but looking almost ominous. Krystal reached out to the miasma nearest her foot with her finger before she hesitated.

One of Professor Meyers’s lectures during her first year rang in her ears once more: _Never touch something unknown with your bare hands! You never know what it might do!_  

Krystal then reached into her magic bag and drew out an herb of some sort—Potions is one of her majors after all, and she is a marvel at creating healing concoctions especially. Krystal hesitantly nudged at the miasma with the herb in her hand, and the herb immediately withered and died, dissolving in her hand. 

Krystal’s eyes widened slightly in horror. She had only read about it—reading up on it with curiosity after Professor Meyers had covered the different types of magic in one of the classes, with Black Magic, Forbidden Magic and Healing Magic being one of those that she had covered.

Krystal recognised the effects instantly, as it was also covered in depth in one of her Healing classes.

“…Ankhseram… The Killing Curse…” Krystal whispered in horror. “…Good Lord… Enoch… What have you done…?” She whispered. Krystal then looked skywards only to see Hedwig and Zeke circling around the cratered premises of what was once Mildian Academy, and is thankful to see that the two familiars were smart enough to not land. “Hedwig! Zeke! Find Zeref!” She called out to the two familiars. “Go!”

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Zeref found himself in the deepest part of Mildian Forest after miraculously escaping the erasure of Mildian Academy and all its inhabitants when Enoch had unleashed the power of Ankhseram in a fit of fury, and had killed and destroyed everything within the academy. 

It is only the protective charms of the necklace that Krystal had made for him that had allowed Zeref to escape the same fate that had befallen Professor Keynes and everyone in the school. Even so, he didn’t escape wholly unscathed. 

Swallowing nervously, Zeref reached out a shaking hand and touched a patch of grass near him. Almost instantly the moment that his fingers had touched the patch of grass, it withered and died. 

_Ankhseram… The Killing Curse…_

Much like any Mildian student, Zeref knew about the Ankhseram Curse backwards and forwards. It is after all a topic that they have to research and write about back in second year when the topic of the ancient gods was covered in their studies.

Ankhseram is said to be a Dark God during the Forgotten Age millennia ago when the world was new and the gods rules the world. No one is really certain how that age came to an end, and with it, the era of the gods. But there are theories that there is a terrible war amongst the gods, and most of them were eradicated as a result.

Ankhseram is portrayed as a god of disaster in myths and legends, with the god being the very representation of death and disaster. The civilians of Mildian City had worshipped Ankhseram, and the signs of his curse were well known.

It is stated in myths and legends that if someone actually attempted the forbidden by treading into Ankhseram’s territory—by trespassing into the affairs of the dead, they will be cursed by him with the famed Killing Curse. Doomed to live a half-life, a cursed life—wandering the earth eternally. Never being able to hold or touch another person, and could only watch as everyone and everything dies around them. 

It is the ultimate curse—the ultimate punishment by the vengeful god.

And judging by what had happened earlier, Enoch had the same curse. But Zeref had resisted the effects of the black miasma that Enoch had utilised because of Krystal’s protection. Does this mean that he is cursed by Ankhseram too? Just in a different way? 

There is a low hooting sound from overhead just then, and Zeref looked up only to see a familiar pair of golden eyes staring at him. A smaller pair of beady dark eyes peered at him too.

Zeref’s eyes widened in shock. “…H-Hedwig? Zeke?” He choked. Zeke’s presence isn’t too much of a surprise, as Zeref _is_ his bonded in the end. But if Hedwig is here, then…

There was the sound of rustling plant life, and as Zeref turned his attention towards the source of the sound, from behind a cluster of bushes, Krystal emerged, looking frazzled and with her Mildian uniform having smudges of dirt on it. But otherwise, she seems all right.

Zeref didn’t even realise the sigh of relief that he had given out when he saw Krystal. He had feared the worst—that Enoch had accidentally killed Krystal alongside all their fellow students and even their professors. 

“…Krystal…”

“I finally found you.” Krystal said, walking towards him.

Zeref’s eyes shot opened with fear, and he scrambled to his feet, trying to get as far away from Krystal as possible. “D-Don’t come near me!” he squeaked, noting to his sadness that the tree that he is accidentally leaning against is rotting and dying just from his touch. “If you do—”

“Calm down!” Krystal interrupted, raising both hands before her to calm Zeref down, and also stopping in her tracks. “Zeref, have you forgotten whose protection I’m under?”

Zeref’s eyes then widened slightly in surprise, as from behind Krystal, he could then see the form of a black hooded figure with a dark scythe. He hasn’t seen this figure for years now—not since that day when he had given them the power to save Natsu. 

“…Death…” Zeref whispered in awe. That’s right. He had almost forgotten that Krystal is Death’s master. But will that make her immune to his curse? 

_…We meet again, Zeref Dragneel._

A whispery voice that seems as if it resounds in his head reaches Zeref’s ears. That voice… He hasn’t heard it in almost four years.

_You had a narrow brush with Death. Once more. Ankhseram recognised my touch on you, marking you as under my protection. Even that vengeful god will know better than to touch one under Death’s protection._

Zeref looked confused. “But…” He looked at his hands. He is still cursed by Ankhseram, isn’t he?

“Zeref, you know the effects and the signs of the Ankhseram Curse backwards and forwards like I do.” Krystal said patiently. “You aren’t touched by Ankhseram’s anger like…Enoch was.” She looked conflicted. “You aren’t cursed by him. But you _are_ touched by his Killing Curse. So in a way, you’ve gained the Ankhseram Curse _because_ you survived Enoch’s attack on the school when Ankhseram cursed him. Because the curse _touched_ you.”

_But you are only spared from the worst of it because Ankhseram recognised my touch on you, and he recognised that you’re under my protection._

“So… What does this mean exactly?” Zeref asked, confused.

“There’s another name for Ankhseram’s Killing Curse.” Krystal said, looking at Zeref in the eye. “The Contradictory Curse. That’s the full version of his curse—one inflicted on all those that had earned his rage. Enoch suffered that. But because you were only touched by it and _survived it,_ you only gained the Killing Curse. Unlike Ankhseram’s Contradictory Curse, the lesser version of it—the Killing Curse _could_ be contained by Death’s powers.”

“How?”

Death stretched out a bony hand, revealing a shining silver ring resting within it. The ring floated over to Zeref—almost guided by some unknown power and slipped onto the thumb of Zeref’s left hand. Almost instantly, all the plant life that Zeref had been near stopped dying.

“What…?” 

_Even Ankhseram can’t defy me. He might have some say over the realm of the dead and the spirits, but in the end, it is Death who had the final say._

Zeref looked at his hands, and at the silver ring on his thumb. He could feel a source of great power coming from it. Death’s protection…

“That ring won’t come off unless you remove it yourself.” Krystal said, breaking through his thoughts. And before Zeref could protest, she moved to his side and touched his hand, and he flinched. But nothing happened to Krystal. “As long as you have that ring, Ankhseram’s Curse will be contained. Unfortunately…” Krystal grimaced. “According to Death, not even he could lift the one aspect of Ankhseram’s curse that he inflicted on all those who earned his rage. _Eternal solitude.”_

Zeref’s eyes widened. “‘The one who earned Ankhseram’s vengeful rage will be doomed to wander this land forever alone, unable to be with anyone, with everything dying as long as they are exposed to him. It is the ultimate punishment by the god of disaster’.” Zeref whispered, reciting the familiar phrase connected with Ankhseram, feeling his heart grow cold. “Then…” 

Krystal tightened her hold on his hand, and she used her other hand to tilt Zeref’s head so that he is looking at her. There is a steel expression in her silvery-blue eyes, with the moonlight almost illuminating her form. “I’ll stay with you!” she said forcefully. “No matter what it takes! No matter how painful it is going to be, I’ll stay with you! Even if you lose control, it doesn’t matter! I’m Death’s master. I _cannot_ die unless I agree to it. Ankhseram’s curse won’t work on me. I’m immune.” She told Zeref, much to his astonishment. “If you have to wander this world forever, I’ll be with you.” She insisted, tears forming around her eyes. “I won’t leave you alone!”

Zeref shook his head, feeling his head about to break. “…Krystal… No… You don’t have to…” he almost begged, not wanting his beloved to bear the same curse.

“I made my choice!” Krystal said forcefully. “I don’t care! And don’t say that you’ll leave me!” She blurted out, and Zeref’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’ll be worse if you leave me behind! I’ll be with you, for as long as it takes! That’s why… Say you’ll stay with me. Don’t leave me behind…! A life without you…has no meaning at all…” Krystal buried her face into Zeref’s chest, and he lifted his hands hesitantly before wrapping it around Krystal. 

_My master made her choice. So did you. Zeref Dragneel, sometimes, the power of love and the strength of feelings… It is the power that can change fate._

Zeref looked up just in time to see Death dispersing like mist, his final words echoing around the forest clearing.

_You both made your choice. Those under my protection will not be subjected to Ankhseram’s whims. Take care of my master._

Zeref gave a small smile even as he wrapped his arms around Krystal, burying his nose into her hair. Maybe… Just maybe… It won’t be so bad after all. 

“…All right…” Zeref said, tightening his hold on Krystal. “I won’t leave you. I promise. No matter how long it takes… I’ll stay with you.” He promised.


	4. The Dragon War

_“We’re going to end the Dragon War.” - Krystal Nightray_

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**  

_~April 17, X389; Sisa City~_

“That will be 6,000 Jewels in total.” The shopkeeper told, beaming, even as he handed over a brown paper package, and was quickly paid in full. “Thank you. Please come again!”

The black hooded figure quickly took his purchase and left the shop, with a bell jingling somewhere inside as he did so. He was quick to move down the bustling and busy streets of Sisa City before entering the local inn, heading towards a corner where a dark haired young man was seated. The hooded figure then removed the hood from the face only to reveal the visage of a petite and slim young woman.

It had been nearly an entire day since Mildian Academy had gone up in smoke—literally.

Zeref and Krystal have then wasted no time in putting as much distance between themselves and Mildian City as possible, arriving at the next nearest biggest city in Fiore—Sisa City. But unlike their Mildian counterpart, Sisa is one amongst the large number of cities and towns in Ishgar that looks at the mages with contempt.

Thus, both Krystal and Zeref have to use black cloaks to cover up their Mildian uniforms until earlier this morning when they could both purchase new clothes when the shops have opened—fortunately for both of them, the young couple have stowed away their wallets in their magic bags and _not_ in their respective dormitories where their wallets would most likely have gone the same way as Mildian Academy along with the rest of their possessions.

Krystal is now wearing a light blue and white blouse with a pair of black shorts and a silver belt with a pair of black boots that reaches to her calves meant for long distance travelling laced on her feet. A black cloak with the clasp attached at the top of her left shoulder held it together—not hindering her movements in the least. A pair of fingerless black gloves was also laced on her hands. 

Likewise, Zeref had gotten new clothes too, though his had taken a bit more time, as _Krystal_ had to pick it out for him. He is now wearing a black and white shirt that also functions as a coat with a semi-high collar and black trousers. And much like Krystal, he had a pair of black boots on his feet that are meant for long distance travelling, along with the black cloak. A pair of fingerless black gloves was also laced on his hands.

Both teens also have their magic packs slung across their chests beneath their cloaks, along with similar black chokers that blue teardrop pendants rested against their collarbones. 

“The news about Mildian Academy’s destruction hadn’t reached this far out yet.” Zeref murmured the instant that Krystal had sat down at the table across him. The couple fell silent as a waitress approached them to take their orders only to leave promptly the moment the young couple ordered two drinks. “But I think it’s only a matter of time.”

“Yeah.” Krystal nodded grimly, tucking her purchase away into her magic bag. “I’m a little concerned what this might mean for the few mages in Ishgar—we receive enough hatred and contempt from the mundanes as it is. But we got bigger things to worry about.”

“Enoch?” Zeref guessed, and was mildly surprised when Krystal shook her head.

“Well, I’m worried about him too, but he’s not my main concern right now.” Krystal explained, only to fall silent as the waitress from earlier delivered both of their drinks—steaming drinks of hot cocoa in wooden mugs before politely excusing herself. The weather mage stared at the nails on her left hand for several moments before lifting her silver-blue eyes to meet Zeref’s own dark ones. “I’m more concerned about the dragons, frankly. And the Dragon War.” 

Zeref nodded slowly, understanding Krystal’s concern. Even when they were still students in Mildian Academy, majority of the students were worried about the Dragon War. Every month, often, more than one student would receive bad news from their homeroom teacher, informing them that their mother or father or sister or brother, and sometimes even an entire village were killed by the dragons or even razed down to the ground like how Lilycove did so long ago.

As Mildian City _is_ a city comprised mostly of mages, with the only mundanes living in Mildian City mainly being the shopkeepers that supplied either the tools or plants needed for the mages, they are one of the few known cities in Fiore that is known solely as a mage city. Thus, ever since Mildian Academy’s inception, there had been a powerful barrier constructed around the entire city, not just the academy alone that prevents any attacks. It also repels any and all intruders that didn’t have Mildian Academy’s headmaster’s permission to enter.

It is also the reason why Krystal, Zeref and Enoch have met the headmaster, as the barriers and wards around Mildian City have alerted the headmaster and the professors to their presence, and that they are untrained mages.

“If things go on the way they are, we’ll be lucky to have a nation left.” Zeref admitted, as the way that the war between the dragons is going had been getting worse for the past year. “And well… I’m a little concerned about Enoch too.”

A muscle in Krystal’s cheek twitched as she stared down at her hands before looking at Zeref again. “…What are we going to do now?” she asked at last.

They are going to need to find a way to earn more money, first of all. As most large towns and cities often had bounty outposts to hunt down some outlaw or even some monster, it won’t be a problem between Zeref and Krystal. Even without their magic, they are more of a match for an outlaw or even a monster with just their fighting and weapon skills—it had been a skill ingrained in them since early childhood when they were making their living from hunting.

Zeref glanced at Krystal and felt his heart clench at the expression on her face. Enoch’s departure and semi-betrayal had cut deeply into her—just like it did him. Zeref isn’t blind—he knew from the very beginning that the slightly older boy had had romantic feelings for Krystal just like he did. And Zeref is certain that Krystal most likely knew it too. But even if Krystal had never had any special romantic feelings for Enoch, she still sees him as one of her best friends—almost a brother, just like how Zeref had seen Enoch.

If Lilycove had never been decimated by a dragon attack all those years ago, would Enoch have gone down the path he did? Would things have been different for all of them? Would they have picked different paths in life?

Zeref has no idea anymore, and honestly, he knew better than to continue questioning himself. What’s done is done after all. Even magic can’t fix everything.

But honestly? What does he _want_ to do?

Isn’t there a goal that he is striving for? That is the whole reason why the three of them have even made the long and tedious journey to Mildian City all those years ago, isn’t it?

“…I want to track down Enoch.” Zeref said at last, meeting Krystal’s eyes. She didn’t look too surprised, and there is a burning determination in those silver-blue orbs too. “I want to know why from him. I…can’t let him continue going down the path he did. I…want to stop him.” He admitted. “Even if I couldn’t… Even if _we_ couldn’t… I want to see him for the last time.”

Krystal had a small smile on her face. “…Yeah. I want to find him too,” she admitted. “There are loads of things I want to talk with him. Maybe if we’d just paid more attention to him, he wouldn’t have done the things he did.” She shook her head sadly. “But there’s something else that I want to do too.” She met Zeref’s eyes once more, a look of steel determination visible in those orbs. “We should have done this a long time ago when Lilycove was decimated down to the very foundations of the earth.” Zeref had an inkling that he knew where this is going. “Let’s put this to an end. We’re going to end the Dragon War.” 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

_~November 27, X390; Karou Forest~_

Even so, ending the Dragon War is easier said than done. There is a reason why that war had been dragging on for nearly seven long years now, with no human able to defeat or even stop a dragon. They are just too powerful. Not even a mage could do anything to stop them.

But from their studies in Mildian Academy, Zeref and Krystal knew that there is a type of ancient magic lost to time that is entirely capable of killing dragons. It is the dragons’ sole weakness. Hence why so many students in Mildian have often conducted research on Lost Magic—all in the hopes of unearthing a form of magic able to help save their home.

Over the span of one year ever since the destruction of Mildian Academy, Zeref and Krystal have both taken to travelling around, trying to unearth any information that they could on Enoch, and also to hopefully find some sort of clue to stop the Dragon War.

Enoch however seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, but both Zeref and Krystal knew that he’s definitely still alive, as Krystal would be able to tell if he’s dead. Their travels have also enabled them to save several lives from dragon or even monster attacks in the process. There were several that were grateful to them, and didn’t give a damn that they’re mages, but there were a few that have resented them just for the fact that they’re mages.

But like what Zeref had later told Krystal, they can’t change everyone’s minds. But by doing what they did, they might just be able to improve the standing of mages in Fiore.

A few of the adult mages that they’ve run into during their travels have also taught them different branches of magic. Death had also given in about a year ago and had taught Krystal and Zeref a special form of Black Magic to them both. He had muttered something about them both being ‘of age’ to learn his magic—whatever that means.

Black Magic is the strongest type of combat magic there are, but as most of those magicks are extremely dangerous and life threatening to the user in order to learn and master it, most mages just never did. Ankhseram Black Magic is just one of the forbidden arts amongst the ranks of Black Magic.

Right now however, both Zeref and Krystal were making their way through Karou Forest, with a small village by the name of Karou located deep within the forest. Karou however had been one of the first villages to be destroyed when the Dragon War had begun.

But from what Zeref and Krystal have learned from the last town that they are in however when they’ve brought back a monster for one of their bounty hunting excursions, a group of people have rebuilt the tiny village into a base camp of sorts nearly a year ago—having formed a group to fight the dragons or even to help with the aftermath of a dragon attack. And from the rumours going around the nation, more and more people have begun joining—mostly victims or survivors of dragon attacks.

“How in the world do you fight against a dragon anyway?” Zeref wondered even as they trekked through the forest, with both Hedwig and Zeke circling in the air above them, leading the way. “I didn’t think that there is any possible way. Even we could only manage to chase away that dragon six months ago when he’d attacked that small village to the east.”

It is true.

And it is only because the dragon had been an elemental dragon weak to Krystal’s ability to control the weather, and he had fled. But not before causing a whole lot of collateral damage and countless deaths. 

“I don’t think this resistance group is _fighting_ against the dragons per se.” Krystal corrected Zeref. “I think it’s more along the lines of assisting with the rebuilding and the care of whatever orphans there are after a dragon attack. Not much that humans could do against a dragon after all.” She added.

There was a sudden deafening roar from above just then that caused both Zeref and Krystal to clamp both their hands over their ears before a gigantic gust of wind whipped at their bodies and their faces, almost knocking them over. When the couple have recovered enough to look up, it is only to see two dragons battling at it above their heads. And apparently, the bulk of the fight had taken place elsewhere, as there are visible wounds on both dragons’ bodies.

And then, much to Krystal and Zeref’s horror, the ice-blue dragon got the upper hand as it blasted a dragon blast at his opponent—a dragon covered in visible orange-red flames. The fire dragon let out a pained roar before it fell from the sky. The ice-blue dragon then took its chance to make its escape across the skies. 

“…It fell in that direction.” Zeref was the first one to find his voice. “Come on!”

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

It took about fifteen minutes for the both of them to find the injured fire dragon from earlier, and when they did, even Zeref was stunned at the number of injuries that is visible on said dragon. A normal human wouldn’t have survived that—hell, any human would likely die with just one hit from a dragon. 

Krystal was already moving towards the dragon’s side the moment that she’d regained her bearings and her senses. The fire dragon in question was heavily injured, but still conscious enough to sense the presence of a human, and he cracked open one crimson eye.

“…Humans…?” The dragon with his body cloaked in flames growled. “Here to finish me off? Should be a first then—for a human able to kill a dragon.” 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Krystal said, looking up at the dragon as she’s _tiny,_ as compared to a dragon that size is enough to dwarf even one of the major cities in Fiore. “Let me tend to your wounds. I’m a mage. I can heal you.”

That statement caught the fire dragon’s interest. “…A mage, you say? I haven’t seen one for years. Your kind have all gone into hiding or even hid what they are, especially after the only mage training academy in the country was destroyed nearly a year ago by one cursed by Ankhseram.” 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged glances. So even the dragons knew what had happened. However, the couple knew that outside of the International Magic Council and a few mages that they’ve ran into during their travels, no one knew what is the real cause behind Mildian Academy’s destruction. Most have assumed it to be a dragon attack.

“Let me help you.” Krystal insisted, and the fire dragon closed his eyes, breathing out slowly, but painfully, and Krystal took that as a sign that he’d accepted.

This dragon… He might just be one of those that had sided with the humans—a peace loving dragon, like what the king of Fiore is so fond of saying. For despite everything and the fact that half the kingdom detests mages, the royal family of Fiore had always been fond of mages. It is why Mildian Academy had existed, and why the mages haven’t been outlawed yet. It is also why there is also a Royal Mage appointed in the king’s court. 

Krystal immediately knelt by the dragon’s side—next to one of the more serious looking injuries, and placed her hands over the deep gash that she could see. That gash is deep enough that Krystal swore that she could even see the white of bone for a moment. Blue light surrounded her hands. 

“Krystal, do you need any healing potions?” Zeref asked urgently, trusting Krystal to do what she does best. After all, it had always been his lover that does the healing whenever they came across a half-destroyed village in the aftermath of a dragon attack. 

“Yes. But the ones that work for humans most likely won’t work on dragons.” Krystal said, concentrating on her task even as she removed the strap of her magic bag from her shoulder. “I have some potions that I’ve made for Hedwig and Zeke when they were injured that time. Maiden’s Kiss and Blue Tear, Zeref.” 

Zeref nodded and begun rummaging within Krystal’s magic bag. She had always kept the contents of her bag well organised—no matter how many things there are, and thus, will always be able to find something fast in an emergency. Zeref soon removed two glass vials from the bag and stepped next to Krystal. He had taken Potions and Pharmacy classes in Mildian alongside Krystal after all. He could identity most potions and even herbs by sight and smell. He knew exactly how to give the healing potions to the unconscious dragon. 

Removing the cork from the glass vial of the blue potion with his teeth, he knelt next to Krystal and dripped a few drops of the healing potion into the deep gash. The potion worked instantly by regenerating the wounds, with a low hissing sound and smoke appearing immediately. The dragon growled in pain even in unconsciousness. 

Maiden’s Kiss and Blue Tear are two of the more potent healing potions for animals. It is meant to be applied to the wounds—not to be consumed. Krystal had always kept it on hand in case they ever need it for Hedwig and Zeke after all, especially after they’ve taken to travelling.

“I’ll tend to the rest of his wounds.” Zeref told Krystal who nodded, still busy at closing up the remainders of the gash.

Light footsteps reaches their ears just then, and the couple turned around sharply only to see a group of people approaching them. There are five in all, and they don’t look that much older than them. All of them were dressed in garbs meant for combat more than anything. The one leading them especially so.

The leader, a young man with some muscle on him—prominent even though his shirt and cloak raised an elegant eyebrow. He had dark blue hair that reaches down to just a little below his earlobes and dark eyes. There is even a sword attached at his hip. And judging by the number of battle scars visible on his arms, he is no rookie to battle. There is even a battle-hardened aura around him. 

“…A mage?” One of the young man’s companions murmured with interest, seeing Krystal healing the fire dragon. Zeref frowned slightly at the tone—at least this group doesn’t seem to be magic phobic.

“That’s a surprise.” The leader spoke, his eyes gleaming with interest and curiosity as he looked from Zeref to Krystal and back again. “I didn’t think that I’d see someone who would willingly help a dragon.” 

Krystal let her healing power die away and got to her feet—she had after all healed as much as she could. The rest is now up to the dragon himself, and the healing abilities that she had heard that dragons possesses.

“Who are you?” she enquired, looking from face to face, the fingers of her right hand ready to cast a quick spell should she need to.

“Whoa there, we mean you no harm.” The leader said immediately, holding out his hands, addressing Krystal politely like how the men of this continent always did whenever there is a female in their midst. “That fire dragon is one of the few that we knew sides with the humans. We just came to check on him when we’d received reports that he was seen falling out of the sky five miles west of Karou.”

“Can’t believe that Atlas Flame was bested.” One of his companions grumbled. “He is second in power to only the king of the fire dragons himself.”

“He must have an off day.” One of the others defended.

“He’s fine now.” Krystal said, eyeing the group of men in front of her curiously. She didn’t miss the fact that they’ve mentioned Karou earlier. They must be the resistance group. “I’ve healed as much as I could. The rest is up to him.”

“Mildian graduates?” The leader asked curiously, and both Zeref and Krystal narrowed their eyes at the leader, and he raised his hands hastily. “It’s just that I heard from someone before that the only way one would learn the Lost Art of healing magic is through that mage school. But wasn’t it destroyed over a year ago?”

“Well… We never exactly graduated, to be exact.” Zeref murmured, exchanging looks with Krystal.

One of the guys stared at the pair of them, bewildered. “You can’t be telling me that you’re survivors of that incident, can you?” he asked, surprised. “I heard that there are no survivors! Every single student and professor and even the entire building of Mildian was razed down to the ground. Until today, _nothing_ could be grown in the crater that the academy’s building had once stood. People are starting to call the land where the academy had once stood cursed.”

“Something like that.” Zeref murmured, exchanging looks with Krystal who nodded. Even the International Magic Council had instructed them not to breathe a word of the truth behind the incident to anyone that they don’t trust wholly. “Are you the resistance group that we’ve been hearing rumours about?” 

“Is that what they’re calling us?” The leader looked amused. “But yes. I’m Dirk Blackman. In a way, I guess you can say that I’m one of the leaders of the resistance group. Nice to meet you.”

“Zeref Dragneel.”

“Krystal Nightray.” 

“I got a feeling that we got a long talk ahead of us.” Dirk said pleasantly.

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

“I’m actually impressed that you managed to locate us.” One of the guys said, impressed, even as they led the long trek through Karou Forest to the site of their hideout. Zeref and Krystal both knew this guy as Liam Otis as what he’d introduced himself as earlier—being Dirk’s second-in-command of the resistance group and _technically_ one of the leaders. “We didn’t exactly broadcast it.”

“Rumours.” Zeref shrugged. “Our village was destroyed by dragons too—about five years now. It’s the whole reason why we attended Mildian to begin with. Everyone in the village died. Only four of us made it out alive.” He exchanged looks with Krystal.

Dirk sighed, running a hand through his hair even as he looked over his shoulder at Krystal and Zeref. “Yeah. Everyone had the same story in the resistance,” he admitted. “We see so many dead that we’re kind of immune to the feeling now. As there isn’t much that we could do to help the kids, we have to send them to the nearest village or town or even city where there’s an orphanage or a fostering system. The resistance is no place for children. Even the few women we have in the resistance are there to help with the injured and the cooking. And yet, all that we could really do is just to tend to the aftermath of a dragon attack. No freaking way that a human can take down a dragon after all. We’re friendly with some of the fire dragons, as the area where Karou is located is within the territory of their king. So the other dragons won’t touch us. It’s the only place that we knew we could be really safe.” 

Krystal frowned. So that’s why they’ve built their hideout in the location where Karou used to be located.

“Actually, excluding us, more than half of those in the resistance had a severe loathing towards the dragons.” Another guy admitted. “I can’t blame them, as they’ve never interacted with the few pacifist dragons like we did, and thus, believed that there are still good dragons left. Even still… Trying to end the Dragon War…” He chuckled almost bitterly. “It’s not going to be easy. And I don’t see how we could succeed either.”

“Never know until we try, right?” Krystal rebuked, and she received smiles from the men that she’s with.

“I guess so.” Dirk mused. His eyes then brightened up as they caught the first sights of a large bonfire burning. “We’re here.” His steps quickened as he approached their camp. “Hey! We’re back! And we’ve brought some new friends!” He hollered, his loud voice echoing across the grounds of their camp.

Krystal and Zeref both got their first real look at the camp of the resistance group. Tents were pitched all over the grounds that still had rubble and such—most likely remains and leftovers of the original Karou Village. There were a large number of blackened wooden logs placed in the middle—surrounding a fire pit—most likely where they had their meals as several large wooden logs were placed around the fire pit like seats. 

There were several people—most of them men who were busy sharpening or even repairing their weapons and even their clothes. Several of them looked up and shouted back a greeting or two before returning to their tasks, though they did give Krystal and Zeref some interested looks.

One young woman who looks to be slightly older than Zeref and Krystal approached them with a small smile on her lips. She had wavy auburn hair that reaches down to her hips and blue eyes, dressed in a white blouse and dark brown shorts.

“Dirk. Liam. You are back early.” The woman greeted, her eyes falling on Krystal and Zeref. “Who’s this?”

“Krystal and Zeref.” Dirk introduced. “We found them healing Atlas Flame. He’s fine now.”

“Mages?” The woman had a smile on her face. “Been awhile since we’ve seen one. All the mages have gone into hiding or even hid what they are. Can’t really blame them either, with how majority of Fiore treats mages.” 

“This is Stella.” Dirk introduced the woman, a soft look appearing in his eyes as he looked at Stella. Zeref raised a brow as he recognised that besotted expression in Dirk’s eyes, and he smiled to himself. It is how his peers back at Mildian and even when they were living in Lilycove have claimed that he had looked whenever he looks at Krystal. Back during his first year at Mildian, several of the guys have often teased him, even placing bets as to when he would confess. “She can be said to be the third-in-command here, though unlike us, she doesn’t fight on the frontlines. She’s also like the mother of the camp—”

 _“And_ Dirk’s girlfriend.” One of the other guys mock whispered in a voice loud enough for both Dirk and Stella to hear, and both of them blushed, with Dirk glaring at the guy for the interruption.

“And she normally is the one to help patch up the injured.” Dirk continued as if there is no interruption, “Stella’s also the cook, medic, tailor and counsellor all in one.”

Stella laughed awkwardly, trying to rid herself of her blush, and Zeref wondered for a moment if Dirk and Stella have just started dating. Possible. But as those two along with Liam looks to be just a few years older than him, it is also entirely possible that they’ve been together for longer than he’d thought.

“Well, that’s what they like to call me, but as none of us are mages here, there’s only so much that I could do.” Stella looked kindly at Zeref and Krystal. “I would appreciate your help when it comes to healing, though I’ll also understand it if Dirk and Liam needs you both more on the frontlines.” She then looked at Dirk. “So… Celebration tonight?”

Dirk grinned and nodded. “Of course!” he said, before turning towards Zeref and Krystal. “We won’t be able to provide much, but we’ll have a small party tonight to welcome you.”

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

When Dirk had said ‘party’, he really meant a better dinner than usual that both Zeref and Krystal understood, as game is hard to come by in recent years, especially with the dragon attacks and all that had sent most of the animals of the land into hiding. Even still, the party is also a chance to meet all those in the resistance. And while both Zeref and Krystal have tried their best to remember all their names and faces, it most likely isn’t possible for them to remember all. 

Liam had even told them that they weren’t really expecting them to either, as all those in the resistance works in either pairs or threes. And while they form a fairly close-knit community, it just isn’t possible to be bosom friends with everyone.

As one of the few girls in the resistance that is close to her age, Krystal got along with Stella like a house on fire, as she would most likely be sharing Stella’s sleep tent with her, being the only other person there that is petite and small in stature apart from Stella. Not that anyone would say that to Krystal’s face. Zeref had hinted that those that dared to say that Krystal is _short_ to her face usually would be regretting that decision within the next few moments. 

It also helps that Krystal is good at Healing Magic, and even though Stella is no mage, even she would be able to concoct healing concoctions that would ease her burden a lot. 

“Hey Zeref.” Zeref looked up from where he is seated on one of the logs around the fire pit only to see Liam approaching him, two wooden mugs in his hands, and he handed one to Zeref. “Feeling overwhelmed?”

Zeref shrugged. “I haven’t really been around people all that much,” he admitted. “Kris too.”

Liam was silent for several moments before he looked at Zeref. “You and Krystal… You’re both together, right?” he asked bluntly, and Zeref glanced at him.

“You can tell?” 

“Yeah. It’s not like it’s that difficult.” Liam admitted, cradling his hands around his wooden mug and looking at the crackling flames before turning his attention back to Zeref. “With the way that you look at her, it’s pretty obvious to anyone with eyes. Besides, you both remind me of how Dirk and Stella are with each other.” He admitted. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I grew up with those two, you know?” He jerked his chin towards where Stella and Dirk are, with Stella laughing at something that Dirk is telling her, and she slapped him playfully on the arm. “Before our village got burned down…” He gestured around the ruins of Karou, “everyone used to say that it’s only a matter of time before those two get married. They started dating about a year before Karou burned down. Dirk’s father was about to approach Stella’s father for a marriage contract or something. But then the village was destroyed and…” Liam shrugged helplessly. “What about you and Krystal? What’s your story? How long have you been together?” He asked curiously.

Zeref said nothing for several moments. Dirk, Stella and Liam… Their lives are so similar to his, Krystal and Enoch that it almost caused an ache in his chest. “We’ve been dating for about a year and a half now.” Zeref admitted at last. “But…” He looked at Liam. “We made a promise to not get married until we’ve finished what we have to do.” 

After all, they had all the time in the world.

Liam frowned. “Meaning?”

Zeref was silent for several moments, looking at where Dirk and Stella are, feeling a muscle twitch in his cheek. Is it selfish of him to make Krystal wait for him? They’ve made a promise to each other, that is true. But…

“…You, Stella and Dirk…” Zeref said at last, turning to face the older boy. “Seeing the three of you like this reminds me of ourselves—me, Krystal and…Enoch.” 

“Enoch?” Liam echoed. 

“My best friend.” Zeref admitted. “Like the three of you, we were childhood friends. We grew up in the same village. The village’s fate is as much the same as Karou’s. But unlike Karou, our village was razed down to the very foundations. There is no hope for rebuilding, as it is located in a desolate area to begin with. And who knows when it had even begun, but Enoch… He…started to become a person whom I don’t even know anymore.” He admitted.

To his credit, Liam stayed silent and let Zeref talk—the older boy obviously realised that Zeref needs to get this off his chest. Maybe he’ll also talk to Stella to give Krystal a listening ear too if she wishes to. Obviously, those two have a whole lot of baggage to deal with—not just the whole thing with being mages.

“And then… He started going down a path in which there is no backing out of.” Zeref grimaced as he recalled that very moment when Enoch had unleashed Ankhseram’s Black Curse on the entire school, thus destroying and killing everything within a five mile radius. To this day, nothing could be grown on the land where Mildian Academy had once stood.

“And then… There are times when I thought that if only I’d just…paid a little attention to him… Then maybe we could have guided him away from the path that he’d picked.” Zeref admitted. “He wouldn’t have chosen to be a Dark Mage. I told this to Kris once. She only said that Enoch made his choice—just like we did ours. At that time, it had come to such a point that even if we _had_ realised his intentions, most likely, there is nothing that we could have done.” Zeref sighed. “When Lilycove was destroyed, I…lost my younger brother and my mother in the dragon attack. Enoch lost his older sister. I think it was at that point when he’d well and truly snapped.”

“Damn.” Liam managed to say. “And I thought that our lives were hard enough. But I guess once you’d factored magic into it…” He trailed off. 

The sound of light footsteps reaches their ears just then, and both males looked up only to see Krystal approaching them. Liam smiled and got to his feet, taking the now empty wooden mug from Zeref’s hands. “I’ll leave you alone now,” he said. “Zeref, you’re sharing a sleep tent with me, if you don’t already know.”

Zeref nodded in affirmation as Krystal approached him, tugging him gently on the hands, thus making him get up. “Take a walk with me?” Krystal asked him quietly, and he smiled, nodding.

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The stars were well out—with millions of the glittery silver stars shining like diamonds on black velvet in the night sky even as Zeref and Krystal walked slowly through the Karou Forest, only stopping when they came across a lake. There were various light orbs floating about the forest by the riverbank—most likely leftovers from the mist earlier in the day as cold winter mornings always brought—thus creating a lovely picturesque sight.

“It reminds me of the lake that we used to play at when we’re kids.” Zeref admitted as the couple settled down onto the grass by the riverbank, looking at the surface of the water that is currently reflecting the night sky. “My mother used to get really mad at us whenever we sneaked out there when we’re little. I think she gave up on stopping us by the time that we’re seven.” He laughed at that memory, and Krystal laughed too—both of them secretly grateful that they could still remember the happy memories and not dwell continuously on the bad memories. 

“It’s not your fault, you know?” Krystal said quietly, and Zeref looked at Krystal. “Enoch made his choice a long time ago. Neither one of us just realised how far that he’s willing to go to make his wish come true.” She looked at Zeref. “I don’t know if we can find Enoch—we know better than anyone else that he won’t be found if he doesn’t want to be. But if we do…”

“I want to talk to him one last time.” Zeref admitted. “What we’ll do after that…” He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Krystal nodded. “Yeah. You’ll make the right decision,” she said firmly. “You always did. Even if you don’t, I’ll be by your side to help you make the right one.” 

Zeref smiled at that. More than once, after leaving Mildian Academy a year ago, he had played with the thought of leaving Krystal behind. But two things had stopped him. One being that he is terrified of being alone—for leaving _Krystal_ behind. The second is that he knew Krystal well enough to know that she could find him easily if she wants to—their time back in Lilycove had proven that to him enough times. And once she caught up to him, she won’t be pleased should he ever leave her behind.

And it is true what Krystal said, and Zeref isn’t afraid to admit to himself that Krystal is his anchor. She helped keep him sane—especially after losing his mother and then with his baby brother still in stasis in that healing coma. She isn’t afraid to tell him _and_ even Enoch to their faces if they’re making mistakes. Hell, Krystal had said as much when they have told her about their research back in first year. But in the end, Enoch had managed to convince Krystal by telling her that it’s just morbid curiosity. Is he already lying to them back then?

Zeref was taken aback when he felt a weight against his shoulder, and looked down only to see Krystal leaning against him. “…Zeref… Promise me… Don’t leave me alone…” Krystal whispered. “I…don’t want to be alone…”

She didn’t know why she’s so _terrified_ of being alone, but a strange nagging feeling at her told Krystal that she had experienced being _truly alone_ before. In a situation in which no one could understand her position, and she was expected to shoulder an unreasonable burden all by herself.

Krystal felt a low hum deep within her, feeling a pulse from the birthmark behind her right shoulder. _Deathly Hallows,_ Death whispered to her deep within the depths of her mind. _I’ll always protect you and your chosen knight. No one, not even Ankhseram or any god will touch you without facing my wrath. I swore so a long time ago._

Zeref felt his heart twinge. “I made a promise, didn’t I?” he whispered, wrapping his left arm around Krystal’s waist and burying his nose into her soft hair. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”

He slid the fingers of his right hand into her hair and bent down, pressing his lips against Krystal’s. Zeref moved his left hand to the clasp of Krystal’s cloak and undo it, thus causing the black material to slip from her shoulders and onto the forest ground. Both their tongues tangled with each other, their low moans echoing around the lakeside—resonating together with the chirpings of the nightlife.

Krystal let out a low gasp even as Zeref pushed her down onto the ground, with him hovering over her, his dark eyes filled with an unknown emotion even as both their faces were just inches apart from each other. He then buried his face into Krystal’s neck, inhaling her scent deeply before sucking at the soft and tender flesh. Krystal let out a gasp at the sensation even as she moved beneath him; accidentally brushing against a certain _spot_ that almost sent sparks through Zeref, and a burning fire formed from the pits of his stomach. 

“…Ze…”

“You really shouldn’t be tempting me out here.” Zeref said huskily even as he removed his lips from Krystal’s neck, hovering over her once more, undoing the clasp of his cloak—not even caring in the least even as it collapsed onto the forest ground behind him. He barely recognised the fact that Krystal had used the childhood nickname that she had always used for him. At least until they’ve met Enoch at Sunday School when they’re both five, and she then started using the full version of his name. “I hope that you hadn’t forgotten that I’m still a man.”

Krystal flinched as Zeref slipped his right hand beneath her blouse, his long and slender fingers touching warm and smooth flesh before moving upwards her body, brushing against the fabric of her undergarments.

“…Not…out here…” Krystal gasped, wriggling her body about beneath Zeref, feeling her body getting heated up just from Zeref’s touches. Sure, they’ve kissed before. But they’ve never gone as far as this. And even though Krystal knew that most couples their age are already married with kids by this point, both Krystal and Zeref have promised each other to only get settled down _officially_ once they’ve done everything they wanted to. “It’s…the outside…”

“That is your complaint?”

Any protests that Krystal had was cut off immediately as Zeref pressed his lips against hers, with both their tongues tangling with each other in a dance, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

A loud roar from overhead snapped both of them out of their ecstasy-driven moods, and their heads snapped up only to see the dark shapes of several large flying creatures heading towards the direction of the camp that they’ve just left.

“Dragons.” Zeref realised even as Krystal sat up, straightening her clothes out, also staring at the dragons flying overhead. “They’re headed towards the camp.”

Krystal frowned before pulling on her cloak once more. “Come on!”

 

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The camp was full of shouting and screaming the moment that Zeref and Krystal were within hearing distance. And after several moments, both of them realised why.

A group of about four dragons were perched in the middle of the campsite—perched on the only part of the campsite that didn’t have any tents pitched. And from the looks of it, the dragons were from different elemental tribes—fire, wind, lightning and maybe even ice, from the looks of it.

Dirk, Liam and Stella were shouting at their friends, trying to get them to calm down, with several of them trying to assist the three resistance leaders in that endeavour. The other half however was already armed with weapons of all kinds, alternating between glaring at the four humongous dragons in the middle of their campsite and screaming at Dirk, Liam and Stella.

And from the looks of it, those four dragons are most likely one of the pacifist ones—the ones who have sided with the humans and have objected against several of their kind’s views on humans being nothing but prey.

“They’re dragons, Dirk!”

“Calm down!” Dirk screamed back at the one doing the most shouting, already going red in the face from all the shouting that he is doing. It probably helps that Dirk, Stella and Liam were standing in the way of their comrades—thus cutting off their only route to possibly harm the dragons.

“I don’t think they’re here to hurt us!” Liam shouted next.

“Everyone, calm yourselves!” Stella looked seriously annoyed.

“They’re dragons, damn it!”

“There _are_ good ones!”

“Name one!”

Zeref raised his voice. “Calm down!” he ordered, but his voice was drowned out by the numerous arguments currently going on, with Dirk looking close to combusting with how red that his face is getting.

Krystal rubbed at her temples, seeing that this is going nowhere. “Dear me…” she groaned, realising that there is only one way to calm all the tempers, and hoping that it wouldn’t make things any worse. She muttered a small apology to Dirk and Liam for what she’s about to do. She clapped both her hands together before uttering a command, _“Freeze!”_

A burst of golden-blue light burst out—with it originating from Krystal—covering the entire camp and thus effectively immobilising all the humans currently arguing fiercely and who also looked to be just one step away from attacking each other.

It is one of the Black Magic arts—taught to both Krystal and Zeref by Death himself. Black Magic mage arts had been combat magic at its finest. And magic is just intent and willpower in the end. What a mage could accomplish is due to their intent. Thus, it isn’t really that unbelievable for a mage to develop their own spells. And both Zeref and Krystal have always been very creative and inventive even when they were children. They’ve blossomed during their time in Mildian, creating several of their own spells that even had their professors baffled as they’ve never heard of any student below fourth year creating their own spells. 

Hell, several of Mildian’s students only managed to create their own spells by the time they were in their final year, or even after graduation. But now with the only mage academy in the country destroyed with no hopes of restoration, Zeref and Krystal almost feared for the future of the mages. 

Death had taught them the basics and know-how of the rules and laws of the mage arts of Black Magic. The rest is up to them to utilise. Though throughout the one year, due to their different strengths in the mage arts, Zeref and Krystal have managed to create several of their own spells for various uses.

‘Power of Words’.

That had been the description that Zeref had used for one of Krystal’s mage arts when she had shown it to him.

Silence reigned in the camp for several moments. As one, the four dragons turned towards the two mages. The ice dragon sniffed the air. “Mages?” She—Zeref and Krystal are both certain that the dragon is a she—spoke. “I haven’t seen one in years.”

“Krystal, lift the spell.” Zeref told Krystal who nodded.

The weather mage glared at the arguing half who seemed to be trying to glare at her. ‘Freeze’ is meant literally. Anyone under this spell will not be able to move a single muscle—not even to glare.

“I’m going to lift the spell now.” Krystal said slowly as if addressing someone retarded. _“However,_ the next person to shout or argue will be placed back under it again! Are we clear on that?” She didn’t wait for a response as she wouldn’t have one either way, and clapped both her hands together once more, _“End!”_

Several people stumbled the moment the spell is lifted, and rubbed at their throats. A few even glared at Krystal, but were smart enough not to say anything even as they met the glowering visage of a pissed Dirk Blackman.

“Are you idiots calm now?” Dirk asked dangerously, and he received several stiff nods from his comrades. “Good.” He then turned to face the four dragons who looked highly amused, and he bowed slightly to them. “I’m assuming that you’re one of the pacifists that we’ve been hearing about?” He asked politely. “Is there any business you need with us?” 

“Yes.” The fire dragon nodded his head. “I am a representative from Lord Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. My fellow dragons are here with me for as much the same reason.” He explained. “As you humans are no doubt aware, the Dragon War had been going on for close to seven years now.” There were murmurs of grumbling and complaining, but one glare from Liam, and the grumblers fell silent.

“We are aware of that, but please go on.” Stella said politely.

“Then you are no doubt aware that in the wake of the numerous battles that we dragons have amongst ourselves, countless human lives and homes were destroyed.” The lightning dragon spoke next, a low rumbling echoing from his throat. “It is never our intent for things to get this far, but this war is a necessity—as if we lose, it will mean the end of mankind.”

Faces paled, and Zeref and Krystal exchanged glances.

Dirk took a step forwards bravely, meeting the dragons’ serpentine gazes without flinching. “What do you need from us?” he asked.

The four dragons exchanged looks before the wind dragon spoke next. “…We seek the help and cooperation from the humans,” he said. “We seek the help of the humans…and the mages—” He glanced at where Zeref and Krystal are standing, “to end the Dragon War.”

“What the fuck do you think that we’ve been trying to do for seven years?” Some unknown person grumbled. “What can humans do against a dragon anyway? I’ve never even heard of a mage being able to defeat one.” 

“Lost Magic.” Zeref murmured in a volume low enough only for Krystal to hear him, though judging by how the eyes of the dragons flickered towards their direction, they obviously heard him too. “We did hear about a type of ancient Lost Magic capable enough to bring a dragon down. But no one even know what that is anymore.”

“Humans, it takes a dragon to defeat a dragon.” The fire dragon spoke, light breathes of fire visible from his snout. “The ancient lost magic capable to defeat if not outright kill a dragon has been lost to time. But it is an ancient magic that all dragons knew.” 

 _That_ caught everyone’s attention immediately.

“The ancient dragon slaying magic.” The ice dragon spoke next. “And the mages that are practitioners of that particular brand of magic—the Dragon Slayers.”

“Dragon…Slayers…” Stella murmured. “Mages that hunt and kill dragons.”

“Yes.” The wind dragon nodded. “And now, we seek the help and cooperation of the humans to help us end this war. We will be willing to impart the knowledge of this ancient magic to some of you in a bid to end this war.” Serpentine eyes glanced over the humans before him. “We dragons will teach you—we’ll teach you to be Dragon Slayers.”


	5. The End of an Age

_“Death is the escape for some. For others, escape just looks like death.” - Krystal Nightray_

 

* * * *

 

_~September 18, X392; Karou Forest~_

 

“You’re back here again?” The low growling complaining voice of Igneel, the King of the Fire Dragons echoed around the mountain where he’d made his home even as a pair of crimson eyes stared down at the two humans in front of him. “Don’t you both have a war to run? You must have a lot of free time if you’re always up here.”

 

Zeref Dragneel and Krystal Nightray both said nothing even as they leaned against the bark of the giant oak tree growing atop the mountain where Igneel had made his home—both of them have their shoulders brushing against each other, with their hands entwining together—almost as if seeking some comfort.

 

It has been nearly two years since Zeref and Krystal both have met Dirk, Liam, Stella and the rest of the resistance group, and just as long since the group of pacifist dragons have taken it upon themselves to teach some of the members of the resistance the ancient Dragon Slaying magic—with Dirk and Liam being amongst them.

 

Krystal and Zeref have both declined when one of the dragons had offered to teach them, with Krystal stating that Dragon Slaying magic won’t mix well with the magic that they already had. However, being the only mages that the resistance group had known, the couple had to first teach whomever that the dragons have agreed to impart Dragon Slaying magic to the basics of the mage arts.

 

The plan had worked initially—the new Dragon Slayers have finally gotten the power to fight back against the dragons, and for awhile, the humans of the land have thought that they might be able to see peace at last.

 

However, it didn’t really last long.

 

Krystal smiled up at the grumpy visage of the fire dragon, feeling comforted by just having Zeref’s arm around her. “We need to get away for awhile,” she admitted.

 

Igneel stared down at them for several moments without speaking before he let out a huff. “What has happened now?” he asked, exasperated.

 

The couple said nothing for several moments before Zeref found his tongue. “Some of the Dragon Slayers… They’ve started turning on the dragons that were our comrades—the dragons that were on our side,” he said, his voice shaking. “Honestly, I wish that I was surprised—I really am. But the truth is that I wasn’t.”

 

“Yeah. I really should have seen this coming.” Krystal admitted. “I knew that this is going to happen the day when the dragons have offered to impart the ancient Dragon Slaying magic to the humans. Humans are always a greedy lot. Once they possess power, they’ll always want more. We knew that better than anyone else.” She exchanged resigned looks with Zeref.

 

Igneel could just detect the feelings of anger, despair, fear and frustration from the two before him and he sighed. “I’ve lived a long time,” he said at last. “And from my experience, once humans get their first real taste of power, they rarely want to let it go. And given time, it starts to slowly corrupt them. That is the nature of most humans. Only the really strong of heart can resist that allure.”

 

Zeref and Krystal knew that better than anyone else. Mage training at Mildian Academy doesn’t just focus on magic. Mildian actually trained their mages to be strong mentally so that they do not fall prey to the allure of power. For that is just what magic is—pure power.

 

“Death is the escape for some. For others, escape just looks like death.” Krystal murmured absently, obviously remembering Enoch. “What should we do? This can’t go on.”

 

“I honestly have no idea.” Zeref admitted. “Dragon Slaying magic… It is a fearsome weapon in the hands of the wrong people. We can probably stop them. But we might just end up having to kill them.”

 

Krystal sighed, getting to her feet. “Come on, Zeref. We can’t leave Liam alone in camp. He’s probably one of the few that still had his head screwed on right,” she muttered, with Zeref getting to his feet. “We’ll come back again, Igneel.”

 

The fire dragon nodded, watching with crimson eyes even as the couple took the trek back down his mountain, and he sighed, breathing out a low breath of fire, eyes turning upwards to stare at the slowly darkening skies. “Humans and dragons…” he murmured. “In the end… Co-existence… Is it just a dream?”

 

* * * *

 

The sounds of the loud argument reached Zeref and Krystal’s ears the moment that they are within hearing distance of the camp. Zeref and Krystal exchanged startled looks before looking resigned—looks like Liam and Dirk are at it again.

 

Being one of the resistance’s leaders, both Liam and Dirk were amongst those that were taught Dragon Slaying magic. But of late when several of the Dragon Slayers have begun turning against the dragons that were on their side, Dirk had been one of those that have started killing every dragon that he saw.

 

Dragons were never a favoured species amongst the humans of the land, even the resistance group. Not surprising, given just how much havoc they’ve been creating for the past decade or so. Thus, when Dirk and several of the Dragon Slayers have gone power crazy and had even started turning against the dragons that were on their side, not many have said a word of protest. In their eyes, the dragons deserved what they got.

 

It is only the rare few—with Liam, Stella, Krystal and Zeref being amongst them that have protested. And thus, that ended up with the resistance group taking sides—definitely not a good thing when you have a war going on.

 

“Damn it, Dirk! We all agreed to at least let the dragon foals go! Why did you do this?!”

 

Liam’s angry roar echoed across the camp, and the moment that Krystal and Zeref have entered the camp, they saw that Liam was currently being held back by Stella who looked both worried and angry. Dirk’s actions had also been causing a strain on his relationship with Stella.

 

It almost made Zeref feel sad when he saw this when he compared to when he’d first met the trio, and had seen how loving that Stella and Dirk had been. Now with his first real taste of power and thus desiring more to the point that he had been slaughtering their own dragon comrades just to get a taste of more power, Dirk had became someone whom he doesn’t even recognise anymore.

 

In the beginning, when Zeref had first met the trio, they have reminded him of themselves—of him, Krystal and Enoch when they were children all the way to the disaster of Mildian Academy when Enoch had blown the building up.

 

But now, Dirk is starting to remind Zeref of Enoch when he had lost himself, and it is giving him an uneasy feeling.

 

“They’re dragons! All of us agreed to take down the dragons when we were given this power!” Dirk hissed, dark shadows surrounding his hands. On instinct alone, the members of the resistance all made their excuses and quickly fled—they don’t want to get caught up in another fight between two Dragon Slayers when the last time one of the resistance had demanded an explanation from Dirk, Dirk had answered it by killing him.

 

“Not when they’re the dragons who had helped us!” Stella cried. “I don’t understand you anymore, Dirk! What’s gotten into you? You never used to be like this! You were never this power hungry before! You’re starting to scare me.”

 

The serpentine eyes that Dirk now possesses as an effect of his Dragon Slayer magic flashed, and his hand lashed out at Stella, but he never reached his target, as Krystal had a firm hold on his wrist, meeting Dirk’s power crazy eyes with her own cool silver-blue eyes, not letting Dirk budge in the least.

 

Zeref had placed himself in between Dirk and Stella, with Liam shielding Stella with his body, the Ice Dragon Slayer looking beyond furious at the fact that Dirk had tried to lay a hand on Stella.

 

Krystal and Zeref both narrowed their eyes when they saw Dirk’s eyes turned a pitch black for just a moment before reverting back to its normal gray. “Calm down.” Krystal said dangerously. “And you should know better than to lay a hand on your own comrades, Dirk.”

 

Dirk glared at Krystal, struggling to get his hand out of Krystal’s grasp, but to no avail. Both Zeref and Krystal have always been physically strong, despite their lean and petite statures, and they could easily handle a Dragon Slayer’s insane strength for some reason.

 

“Let go!” Dirk hissed dangerously at Krystal—almost sounding more dragon than human—a fact that definitely didn’t escape Zeref and Krystal’s notice, but the weather mage didn’t release her hold.

 

“I won’t say it again, Dirk. Calm yourself.” Krystal said dangerously—a fact that made everyone nervous. The fact that lightning is starting to cackle around the hand restraining Dirk’s hand played a large part in keeping the Dragon Slayer from lunging at Krystal.

 

“Hmph!”

 

Dirk shook off Krystal’s hand and stalked off towards his tent, creating some large gouges in the ground where he had walked.

 

“What the hell’s his problem?” Liam muttered angrily, placing an arm around the upset Stella, trying to comfort her. “You okay, Stella?”

 

“Yeah.” Stella nodded, rubbing at her eyes to wipe away her tears. “What’s gotten into Dirk? He never used to be like this. He’s changed. I’m scared, Liam.”

 

Krystal and Zeref exchanged grim looks.

 

* * * *

 

“First, it’s one of his own comrades that he killed just three months ago just because he protested against Dirk and those bunch of idiots that he called Dragon Slayers killing the dragons that are on our side.” Krystal was telling Igneel angrily, with the fire dragon listening to what she had to say with a frown. “And now, Dirk tried to lay a hand on Stella. What the _hell’s_ his problem?”

 

Igneel and Zeref knew better than to interrupt Krystal when she’s working herself into a temper. She normally never gets angry. Even Zeref could count on one hand the number of times when he’d seen Krystal really getting angry, and those few occasions were rare. But when Krystal gets angry, you’ll be a fool to enrage her even further, especially since she could easily turn someone’s brain to mush and order lightning to fry them, being a weather mage. And this is not including her mastery over Black Magic that could control a person’s movements like how she’d demonstrated two years ago—even Dirk isn’t that much of a fool to set himself against Krystal _and_ Zeref.

 

“No matter how angry Dirk gets, and no matter what the reason is, Dirk would never hurt Stella in the past.” Zeref said with a frown. “He’s really changed.” He admitted. “If I didn’t know that it’s really Dirk, I would think that someone had used a Transformation spell or even a Take Over spell to pretend to be him.”

 

“Power corrupts. It’s truer than we think.” Krystal said almost sadly. “And it’s giving me a bad feeling—what those guys are doing. And besides, Dirk… He now reminds me of…” She trailed off uneasily.

 

“Kris?”

 

Krystal sighed, looking at Zeref. “He reminds me of how Enoch used to be like before he went down the road of no return,” she admitted, and Zeref grimaced. Oh. Right. Dirk _is_ really starting to resemble Enoch when he had lost himself to the lure of power.

 

Zeref had been lucky; he had Krystal there to pull him back when he had almost lost himself to the lure of Dark Magic when he and Enoch have first gone researching into Revival Magic, and have developed the Eclipse Gate and the R-System. But Enoch had refused to listen to Krystal and Zeref. Maybe because their childhood friend had felt that he had nothing else left to lose.

 

“…Before Enoch had started losing himself…” Zeref murmured, feeling upset at the mere memory and the knowledge that unlike when they were little, Enoch is no longer with them.

 

Krystal looked upset too, and Zeref squeezed her hand; silently giving her comfort without words.

 

Above their heads, Igneel the King of the Fire Dragons breathed out a low stream of smoke. He might be a dragon, but there is no dragon that had loved humans more than Igneel does—something that had often caused several of his own kind to look at Igneel with contempt. But as Igneel is pretty powerful even for a dragon, the other dragons knew better than to make their opinions known to his face.

 

And Igneel had always greatly appreciated love in all forms—he had even grown a liking to the couple before him ever since he’d first met them two years ago when they have gone to visit him after the visit by the dragons to impart the Lost Magic of Dragon Slaying magic.

 

Krystal nodded sadly. “Yes,” she agreed. Inwardly, she hoped that things wouldn’t go south, and that Stella and Liam wouldn’t have to face the pain of losing their lover and their brother. “Besides, is what’s happening now really the right thing to do? I don’t think so. Our own comrades are starting to fear them. The resistance is going to pieces—with all of them taking sides. Liam’s angry. Stella’s upset. And Dirk? I honestly don’t know him anymore. And to be honest? I’m kinda pissed too. It’s a sad thing when your own comrades start to fear you—as it’s the first steps of losing yourself. We knew that better than anyone else.”

 

Zeref closed his eyes briefly as a brief visage of his brother in all but blood came to his mind. _‘Enoch…’_ he thought, upset. He then opened his eyes once more, turning to face Krystal. “Stella didn’t say anything, but all of us know that she’s worried. I am too, honestly.” Zeref admitted, and Krystal nodded. “Liam’s concerned too. And Igneel, didn’t you say it before? When humans get their first real taste of power, it corrupts them. Only the truly strong of heart can resist that allure.”

 

“That’s the whole reason why mages have laws to abide by to begin with.” Krystal said with a heavy sigh. “It keeps up earth bound. But now with Mildian Academy gone and all…” She trailed off with a frustrated sigh. “I almost fear for the future of the mages of this nation.”

 

Zeref nodded grimly. “We might have to do something about it,” he admitted. “We _do_ have a part to play in Mildian’s destruction.” He added guiltily.

 

“Hmm…” Igneel frowned, staring down at Krystal and Zeref. “Krystal, Zeref. Tell me something.” Both of them looked up at the sound of their names at the frowning dragon. “This…Dirk. Have there been any…extreme changes with him lately? And I don’t mean just his attitude. Has the nature of his magic changed somehow? The colour of his eyes?”

 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged bewildered looks at this strange question. Both of them took a moment to ponder on this question. Being Mildian trained, both of them were sensitive to the changes in the air and magic auras—especially Krystal who is a weather mage and is one with Nature. And even before Zeref had started learning Black Magic, he had been well versed in Spirit Magic.

 

“Well, Dirk received his powers from the Shadow Dragon, so his magic had always been a little dark in nature.” Krystal admitted at last, and Zeref nodded with agreement. “But yes, now that you mentioned it, the nature of his magic _did_ change somehow. It kinda reminds me of…” Krystal looked at Zeref hesitantly. “…Ankhseram… Back when Enoch unleashed his power.” She admitted.

 

Zeref grimaced. “Yeah. It got the same feel as Enoch’s power—just…darker, as Dirk seems full of hatred and anger lately,” he admitted. “I know that the situation with the dragons had been getting out of hand before Dirk had started getting angry with everything. But would it have changed his magic this drastically?”

 

“It can.” Igneel said solemnly. “Dragon Slaying magic relies on their user’s emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more powerful it is.” He explained. “Dragon Slaying magic is so rare and classified as a Lost Magic _because_ if the user is weak-willed, they can lose themselves to the lure of Dragon Slaying Magic.” Igneel told the pair. “Also, has his eyes changed colour?”

 

Krystal looked hesitant to answer before she looked up at Igneel. She had a bad feeling what Igneel is going to tell them. “…Yes,” she said at last. “It’s been happening whenever he’s angry…which is nearly every single day—particularly when he’s fighting with Liam.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Igneel, what’s going on?” Zeref asked, unable to keep quiet anymore. “You know something, don’t you?”

 

Igneel breathed out a low stream of fire before looking down at the two mages. “…When the other dragons first approached me to ask for my support in teaching the humans Dragon Slaying magic, I was initially hesitant as there is an old legend amongst the dragon race when it comes to the ancient Dragon Slaying magic,” he said at last. “A human who has bathed in thousands of dragon blood will turn into one which he hunts.” Igneel recited, and Zeref and Krystal looked at him with shock. “The ancient dragon of legends—the dragon of destruction and disaster that is sworn to end the world as it is.” Zeref and Krystal stared at Igneel with shock, feeling cold dread pooling up in them. “Dragon scales are made up of 95% evil and 5% good. That’s why there’s a saying to never tickle the sleeping dragon.”

 

“And with the number of dragons that Dirk and his group have been slaying like nobody’s business for the past two years…” Zeref gritted his teeth, trying to remember just how many dragons had died at Dirk’s hands. “Damn it! How many dragons has he slain?”

 

Before either Igneel or Krystal could reply, there was the sound of a loud explosion, and all three of them turned their heads towards the direction of the sound only to see a bright crimson glow.

 

_Fire._

 

“That’s where the camp is.” Krystal realised, her face pale. “Let’s go!”

 

* * * *

 

The bodies of the dead—both humans and dragons alike were the first thing that both Zeref and Krystal saw the moment they were in the vicinity of the base camp, and it got even worse the further they ventured, with flames surrounding the forest and even the camp.

 

And of course. After all, it is well known that this is the base camp of the Dragon Slayers. Even with the fear of the wrath of the Fire Dragon King, it isn’t enough to deter the dragons set on humanity’s destruction to hunt down the Dragon Slayers.

 

Zeref looked on with horror—it is entirely too similar to Lilycove’s destruction for his liking, and he scanned the camp, hoping to at least find a few survivors. His sharp eyes caught sight of Liam immediately—with the older boy clutching onto a motionless and bleeding Stella.

 

“Liam!”

 

Krystal was on his heels immediately the moment that Zeref took off, falling to his knees by Liam’s side—Liam who had his entire right side drenched with blood—with the same crimson liquid spilling from the edges of both lips. Liam who is trying to take in breathes of air, clutching onto Stella who is no longer breathing.

 

“Liam!” Zeref clutched onto Liam’s hand almost immediately, even as Krystal’s hands glowed with the familiar glow of Healing Magic, her face screwed in concentration.

 

“No good.” Krystal shook her head, tears almost spilling from her eyes. “His lungs have partially collapsed, and his heart has taken heavy damage. And this is not including his ribs!” She tapped on Liam’s cheek, his blue eyes slowly losing the light within them. “Liam! Please! Stay awake! Eyes on me!” She begged.

 

“…Dirk…” Liam rasped, his breathing coming in ragged and heavy. “I…tried to stop…him… S’rry…” He slurred.

 

“Dirk? Did he do this?” Zeref asked, exchanging bewildered looks with Krystal for a moment. Did Dirk…fall to the ancient dragon curse? “Liam! Come on! Stay awake!” He ordered.

 

“…It’s…too late…” Liam slurred. “…I’m…not going to…last…much longer…” He rasped, coughing out crimson blood. “Kris… Zeref…” He clutched at both their hands with surprising strength, “…Please…! Stop…Dirk…” He turned his eyes to look at something over Zeref’s shoulder.

 

Both Zeref and Krystal followed Liam’s line of sight only to see a figure almost hidden by the bright crimson glows of the flames and the humongous bodies of the dragons and even their comrades.

 

Said figure was screaming and clutching at his head, even as those humane screams started to give way to roars that sounded more dragon-like.

 

“Is…that Dirk?” Krystal realised with shock and horror, watching as the humane figure of Dirk soon started transforming into that of the gigantic figure of a dragon unlike any that they have ever seen before—one with pitch black wings and dark scales—the dragon of the ancient old legends.

 

Liam’s grips on their hands turned their attention back to him again. The older boy was smiling at them—a smile that almost seems as if he’s saying farewell. “…Hey… Thank…you for everything…” he rasped. “Our…time together…is short… But it’s a…worthy time…” He rasped. Liam released his hand around Krystal’s hand, and calling upon his last remaining strength to form one last spell—he commanded his ice magic to solidify and focus around his hand before a crystal flower soon rested on his palm. Made out of his Dragon Slayer Ice Magic, it will never melt. “…A…parting…gift…” Liam rasped, handing it to Krystal who took it with trembling hands. “…We’ll…meet…again…” He promised. “It’s…a…promise… Right?”

 

“Liam…” Zeref murmured.

 

“…I…couldn’t protect Stella… I can’t even tell her how I feel…” Liam rasped. “It’s over…” He looked up at Zeref and Krystal. “…Please… Stop…Dirk…” His hand then slipped from Zeref’s grasp and fell to the ground before his eyes slid shut and his breathing stilled.

 

“…Liam…”

 

A loud roar almost deafened both Zeref and Krystal just then, along with a strong gust of wind that almost blew them over. If not for laying themselves flat on the ground, then they would have been blown off.

 

And then, even as Krystal lifted her head once more, she saw the black dragon that is now Dirk giving out a loud anguished cry—one of hatred, terror and anger before he flapped his gigantic black wings, taking to the sky.

 

“…The ancient dragon of legends…” Zeref murmured, finally finding his voice. “Igneel was right. Pitch black wings. Dark scales. The black dragon of apocalypse. _Acnologia.”_

 

Krystal closed her eyes in grief, her right hand closing over the ice crystal flower that Liam had made for them. She recalled an ancient legend that she had heard from Igneel when she had first met him—when the Fire Dragon had first taught them about dragon lore and culture.

 

“…The Dragon King Festival…” Krystal whispered, tears falling from her eyes. _“Ragnarok.”_ She whispered. _‘Dirk… Why?’_

 

“What is it all for in the end?” Zeref whispered, angered, looking around at the chaos and destruction surrounding them. This is Lilycove and even Mildian all over again. “All the chaos…destruction… And the deaths… What is this for in the end? Is this all…really worth it?” He chuckled bitterly. “Humans… Why do humans like to fight so much? Why do humans always seek destruction? And why do humans…keep seeking to hurt each other over and over?”

 

And with that, the age of the dragons had come to an end.


	6. A New Era

_“Because even in extreme darkness, you can still find a light.” - Zeref Dragneel_

 

* * * *

 

_~February 18, X395; Unknown location~_

 

_“Kris, don’t look back! As fast as you can!”_

 

The rustling of leaves and even the light stinging of branches as it whipped at her skin even as she ran didn’t even bother Krystal Nightray as she tried to put as much distance between herself and…whatever is chasing them right now.

 

Zeref meanwhile is right behind Krystal, tossing out spells to slow down those ‘things’ but to no avail.

 

It had been nearly three years since the end of the Age of the Dragons, and it seems to Krystal like things were getting from bad to worse in Fiore. If she had thought that the prejudice and contempt for the mages in the kingdom is bad before, then she honestly hadn’t seen anything yet right after the end of the Dragon War when the hatred had came to such a point that anyone with mage abilities and even actual mages themselves have tried to hide that part of themselves to prevent prosecution.

 

The Magic Council of Fiore and even the king had already called in Krystal and Zeref for meetings periodically throughout the past three years to figure out an answer to this problem, but neither one of them could give an answer—especially not when the mundanes of this kingdom were clamouring for the king to exile or outlaw all mages and magic in Fiore.

 

Ironically, it is actually _magic_ that had saved humankind from getting wiped out by the dragons, and it is also magic that had kept this world afloat. Krystal knew this as much from her studies in Mildian before the academy was wiped out. If magic was wiped out completely from this world, then it will only be a matter of time before it collapses. _Nothing_ in this world can live without magic.

 

The hatred and contempt for anything unknown and magical had actually came to such a point that even the people of the Hidden Circle—the Unseen World have all gone into hiding that no one had seen one for _years_ now.

 

As it’s name sounds, the people of the Unseen World were _unseen._ They aren’t human. Made up solely of non-humans or even part-humans, they are the vampires, demons and even the members of the Fair Folk, with the Seven High Warlocks being their guardians and ‘government’ in a way. The warlocks—the rare few who are the children of a demon and a human.

 

Despite their name however, the Hidden Circle weren’t always _unseen._ In the past, they used to co-exist with the humans peacefully—especially the mages of the kingdom. Hell, Mildian even often had people of the Unseen coming into the Academy and giving talks—making the Mildian students understand what is so _unknown._ Hence, unlike the vast majority of Fiore, no Mildian student and graduate had ever held contempt and prejudice for the Unseen.

 

Until the Dragon War had begun that had almost decimated the entire world—both the human world and the Unseen World, and the people of Fiore begun to hate and resent those that are different.

 

During their time in Mildian, Krystal and Zeref—like so many of their classmates and peers have often befriended the Unseen who have come to Mildian to give talks. After Mildian’s destruction however, and because of Zeref’s half-cursed state, he is basically part Unseen himself and hence was able to use warlock magic because of it. Krystal was in a similar state as well due to being _touched_ by Death.

 

Thus, right from the beginning, the Unseens have accepted them as part of them, as they’ve always valued power and honour, and both Zeref and Krystal have possessed that in spades.

 

It is only in the past recent year that both Krystal and Zeref have been hearing disturbing rumours of a young man that has death follow him everywhere he goes—with strange abominations—‘demons’ following his every order. The couple knew immediately that this is Enoch that the rumours were talking about, and had followed every lead.

 

At least until those ‘abominations’ seemed to have their sights set on the couple.

 

Krystal take a quick look over her shoulder—despite it being nightfall, she could still see clearly in the dark—one of the benefits of possessing Warlock magic, and she could see the four ‘abominations’ chasing after them. They looked to be a cross between an alligator and a dog—with a long scaly snout like an alligator, but a black canine-like body like that of a dog’s with crimson red eyes. Rows of sharp fangs were visible in their mouths. And they don’t even _talk_ if that is an even proper description.

 

They _hissed_ and _snarled—_ with the words audible despite it.

 

 _“Targets.”_ They have hissed. _“Flesh. Blood. To eat, oh, to eat.”_

 

Krystal’s eyes then brightened as she realised that they are running straight into a forest—honestly, at this point, she doesn’t even know _where_ they are.

 

Obviously, Zeref had the same idea in mind.

 

“Krystal, up the tree! As fast as you can go!” Zeref urged even as he sent a quick harmless spell behind him that only caused a bright flash of light—but it is enough to distract those ‘abominations’ behind them for several precious moments.

 

Krystal was quick to scale the nearest oak tree with little to no difficulty—being hoisted to the tree bough with Zeref’s help. Having spent majority of her childhood messing about with boys, she had often scaled trees and done activities that are more prone for boys than girls.

 

But no one at Lilycove had said anything about it, as times for the tiny village is getting harder as the years passed by, and by the time that Krystal and Zeref were in their adolescent years, the girls of Lilycove were expected to be able to do what the boys do—bring back catch for the village.

 

Once she had settled firmly atop the tree bough, Krystal reached down and hoisted Zeref up the tree herself. Just in time too, as the moment that Zeref was hoisted onto the tree bough that she was on, those ‘abominations’ have started snarling and hissing at the bottom of the oak tree that they were on—but weren’t able to reach them.

 

“What are those? I’ve never seen them before!” Zeref’s face was pale—even under the pale moonlight.

 

“Don’t you remember?” Krystal turned towards Zeref. “We covered them in third year—a mere month before the Destruction.” She glanced at the snarling and hissing ‘abominations’ below them. “They’re from the Abyss. Otherwise known as the Forsaken.”

 

Zeref’s eyes widened a slight fraction before narrowing again. “The boundaries between the worlds,” he murmured, and Krystal nodded grimly. “The Forsaken—the souls of the damned. Though a normal human could also be turned into one if they have enough demon blood injected into them. Loyal to only the one who had created them, they would never sleep and never eat. The ultimate soldier.” Zeref recited what is written in their demonology textbook in Mildian. “What are they doing _here_ then—in _our_ world, and after _us?”_

 

“Someone’s summoned or created them. Either that, or there are rips in the boundaries.” Krystal exchanged quick looks with Zeref before looking away again. Both knew what the other is thinking, and they are dreading the time when they have to speak it out loud. It is no coincidence that these Forsaken are after them when they were chasing a possible lead that might lead them to Enoch Cross.

 

_“Master will be mad. So mad. Must get them. Yes, must get them. To eat. To feed.”_

 

Krystal is starting to feel a little ill at hearing what those hisses and snarls have said. Next to her, she could just feel Zeref tensing up, and he curled his hands into tight fists.

 

“…Enoch, did you send them?” Zeref whispered in silent fury. “After _us?_ …Why?”

 

He sounded betrayed, and Krystal can’t help but feel for him. She felt slight warmth around her left wrist just then, and she lifted her left wrist to her eye level only to see the pale blue crystal hanging from the red and blue bands around her left wrist glowing a slight red, and she narrowed her eyes.

 

“We have to go,” she said, and Zeref turned to face her in confusion.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s Natsu.” Krystal answered, pointing at the crystal hanging from the bands around her left wrist. “I took a piece of the lacrima that I’ve placed him in on that day to inform me about his state of health—whether he’s healthy enough to be removed from stasis or not.” She glanced at the crystal. “…Someone’s interfering with the healing process. And you and I both know who it most likely is.”

 

After all, there is only one other person who knew where Natsu is kept. No one apart from the three of them even knew that Zeref had a younger brother still alive after the dragons had levelled Lilycove to the very foundations of the earth. Everyone at Mildian had assumed that Zeref, Krystal and Enoch were the only survivors.

 

A rare look of fury entered Zeref’s eyes before he looked up into the sky and then around his surroundings. This place seems vaguely familiar, and it took him several moments before he remembered. It had after all been years since he’d passed by, and the last time that he was here, it had been broad daylight.

 

“…We’re an hour away from Lilycove.” Zeref said at last, looking down at the grounds to see the Forsaken still snarling at them. “Let’s make a break for it.” Sparks of light appeared on his fingertips—it is a pretty harmless spell that just creates a bright light. But it is a useful enough spell to create a diversion at night, and if one is facing a Shadow Demon or even the denizens of the Abyss.

 

Krystal nodded. “Okay.”

 

As one, they leapt down from the tree branches even as Zeref launched the light spell at the Forsaken, leaving them snarling and gnashing in pain from the sudden bright light. Before the spell dispersed however, Krystal cast a quick runic ward around the Forsaken—leaving them stranded where they are—they won’t be able to leave the runic ward until dawn. Rune magic had always been a speciality of Krystal’s after all.

 

“You locked them in?” Zeref asked even as the pair made pace towards the direction of Lilycove.

 

“Yeah.” Krystal nodded. “We’d better get there as quick as we can. Knowing Enoch, I got a feeling that he isn’t doing anything good.”

 

* * * *

 

Enoch Cross had a cold smile spread across his lips even as he poured more of his magic into the healing lacrima that held Zeref’s baby brother.

 

“A little longer…” he whispered.

 

And then…

 

Enoch narrowed his eyes as he leapt out of the way even as a pure black sword crashed onto where he had been standing several moments ago—bursts of black lightning emanating from it. Zeref Dragneel glared at Enoch Cross with such venom that if looks could kill, Enoch would have combusted on the spot.

 

“Krystal!” Zeref called out even as a black and white blur shot in between the space between the two boys, and Krystal Nightray skidded to a stop before the healing lacrima holding Natsu Dragneel.

 

The only girl amongst the trio quickly drew some quick runic spells in mid-air that appeared with blue flames around the words—with it absorbing the magic that Enoch had pressed into the healing lacrima. Krystal then pressed a hand against the healing lacrima and muttered several words in a language that Enoch doesn’t understand.

 

Then, the lacrima shattered, and Natsu Dragneel fell into Krystal’s waiting arms.

 

“I got him.” Krystal called out to Zeref. She was then taken aback as a tiny hand clutched at Krystal’s sleeve weakly, and she looked down only to see the four-year-old Natsu blinking sleepy and tired eyes at her.

 

“Onee-chan…”

 

Krystal waved a hand over Natsu’s eyes, casting a simple sleeping spell. “Sleep.” She then walked towards where Zeref is standing, her eyes going towards where Enoch is standing.

 

It has been nearly six years since they’ve seen Enoch—not since the Destruction. And honestly, all three of them should be twenty-three by now—or in Enoch’s case, a year older. But here all three of them stood in the area of their hometown—not looking a day older than seventeen.

 

And Enoch’s eyes looked colder somehow—with a look of death within them, along with a hint of madness. He is dressed in the colours of black and silver, with a silver necklace around his neck with the pendant of a skull hanging from it. And Krystal could definitely sense the cold power of Ankhseram emanating from him.

 

“It’s been a long time, Krystal, Zeref.” Enoch spoke, his voice cold. “Six years? I didn’t expect that you’re still alive, Kris.”

 

“Don’t call me that.” Krystal hissed. “You lost all right to call me that. And you’ll find that I’m extremely hard to kill.”

 

“What did you do to my brother?” Zeref hissed, his eyes going towards where Natsu is currently cradled in Krystal’s arms before turning his attention back towards Enoch. _“What did you do to him?”_

 

“Nothing.” Enoch answered simply, and upon seeing Zeref’s furious eyes, he raised an eyebrow. “I meant it. Krystal nullified my spell—it wasn’t complete.”

 

“What _were_ you trying to do then?” Krystal narrowed her eyes. “I know you. You wouldn’t do anything if it didn’t benefit you in some way. You’ve always been that way since we were kids.”

 

“And I suppose you think you know me then?”

 

“Considering that we grew up together? _Yes.”_ Krystal answered immediately, eyes narrowing dangerously. “We’ve heard rumours of your actions since you’ve levelled Mildian six years ago. You _destroyed_ the school and all the lives within. It is only by sheer dumb luck that Zeref and myself escaped the same fate! How many thousands have died at your hands since, Enoch?”

 

“It is a necessity.”

 

“Why are you doing this, Enoch?” Zeref questioned. “You’re going down a path of no return, and you know it!”

 

Enoch let out a bark of cold sarcastic laughter. “No return? I’ve _stopped_ being able to return on that day when Lilycove was destroyed!” He waved a hand in the air—towards the direction where Lilycove had once laid in. “All of us did!”

 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged looks. Even as _different_ as Enoch is now, the one thing that he never did is lie to them. He is not a liar.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The magic on that day when the dragons have levelled our village.” Enoch said simply, and Krystal flinched at the mere memory of that awful day when they’ve barely managed to escape with their lives. “The magic of dragons are extremely potent and powerful—all of us know that. And the magic of dragons always remains stagnant in the air for several years at least. You surely know that. Even a normal mage—whenever they use magic, it will stay in the air for several hours at least. Didn’t you ever wonder why all three of us have always been highly skilled in the practical applications of magic, and were amongst the best—outstripping even some of the older students? All of us absorbed the leftovers of the dragon magic in the air that day.” Krystal almost paled as she realised what Enoch is getting at. “Think about it. How long did we stay in Lilycove Forest after the attack? Two days at the very least! And Natsu has been placed in a stasis sleep in a lacrima that _absorbs magic_ in a place where dragon magic had remained for _years._ He _absorbed_ the power of the dragons—the magic of the masters of the sky. He alone has the power to destroy me. Before he can do that, I’ll destroy him first—”

 

“Over my dead body!” Zeref snarled. He isn’t about to lose his brother again.

 

“Enoch, you watch Natsu grow up! He’s just a kid!” Krystal tried to reason with him. “You lost your sister when Lilycove was levelled ten years ago! You know how it feels! Are you willing to rob Zeref of his last living relative?”

 

 _“Yes,_ if it suits my means.”

 

For several moments, none of them said anything even as Zeref and Krystal stared at Enoch as if seeing a complete stranger there.

 

“What happened to you?” Zeref was the first one to find his tongue. “You were never like this in the past! Did your sister’s death really send you over the edge this much? It’s like we don’t even know you anymore. Are you…really Enoch?”

 

Honestly, it would have been easier to accept it if someone had told him that Enoch had died on that day when Mildian was levelled, and someone had just been using Enoch’s identity ever since. It would have been far easier to accept than accept the fact that the Enoch he knew and had grown up with…is there no longer.

 

“It’s as you said that day, Zeref.” Enoch said simply, not letting Zeref’s words affect him. “I am no longer the Enoch that the both of you used to know. I can never be. Not anymore.”

 

“What are you even seeking?” Krystal demanded. “What do you want? Did you open the Gates of the Abyss? The Forsaken— _you_ sent them after us, didn’t you? What are you even after, Enoch?”

 

“The destruction of magic and this world.” Enoch said simply, and Zeref and Krystal exchanged horrified looks. If Enoch actually succeeded in his goal, there wouldn’t be a world left. “I’ll _remake_ this world in my own image! And you won’t be able to stop me.”

 

There was silence for several moments before Zeref closed his eyes briefly—finally accepting what Krystal had been trying to tell him for six years.

 

Enoch is lost to them. They can bring him back no longer. The only way to save him now…is to kill him.

 

“…I think the time for words is over.” Zeref said at last, opening his eyes again and tightening his hold on his sword. “Krystal?”

 

“…Ready.” Krystal answered, flexing the fingers on her right hand—with her left securing her hold on Natsu. “The person I see standing in front of me… I don’t know who he is.” She said at long last. A flicker of some unknown emotion flickered in Enoch’s eyes, but was gone so quickly that it could have been a trick of the light. “Let’s settle this.” She met Enoch’s eyes fearlessly. “And I got you where I want you to be.”

 

Enoch frowned before his eyes widened even as hundreds if not thousands of golden chains made out solely of _magical energy_ burst out from the ground at his feet, surrounding him, with some latching onto his limbs.

 

“Shape manipulation magic.” Enoch hissed. “That’s always been your speciality, Krystal. Along with several other branches of magic. But it can’t hold me for long.”

 

“We know that.” Zeref flexed his fingers before an aura of black magical power burst from his right hand and surrounded Enoch.

 

“Ankhseram, huh?” Enoch had a silent sneer on his lips. “You’re underestimating me, Zeref.” With a snap of his fingers, similar black aura surrounded Enoch, thus cancelling Zeref’s magic out, along with the chains that had bound him. “You only hold half of Ankhseram’s Black Magic. You aren’t fully cursed by him as I was. Your Ankhseram Curse won’t work on me. But I’ll leave this for another day.” Enoch said even as black tendrils of shadows started wrapping around his limbs. “I have no intention of hurting either of you. From one person to the next, we were once friends. But if you hand over Natsu to me, I’ll let you leave alive.”

 

“Over my dead body.” Zeref hissed. “I’ll rather die than hand my brother to you. You won’t touch him—not as long as I still have one breath left in my body!”

 

“What he said.” Krystal backed Zeref up. “I won’t let you touch him, Enoch.”

 

“It’s your funeral then.” Enoch said. “Mark my words, I’ll achieve my goal. It is magic that is the cause of everything. I’ll destroy it all!”

 

An ominous silence then remained even as the shadows swallowed Enoch completely.

 

* * * *

 

The cackling sounds of the fire was all that could be heard even as Zeref leaned against the bark of the tree, watching as Krystal fussed over the sleeping Natsu, running several diagnostics to make sure that Enoch didn’t do anything to him.

 

“How is it?” Zeref asked even as Krystal came and sat down beside him, warming her hands at the fire, with his eyes going towards his sleeping brother.

 

“He’s fine.” Krystal reassured Zeref. “The runes that I used earlier absorbed most of the magic of whatever that Enoch had been trying to do. And Natsu is already more than halfway healed, so his life is in no immediate danger. He’s just asleep now.”

 

For several long moments, the young couple stared at the flickering flames of the fire before them, with Zeref occasionally glancing towards his brother to ensure that he’s still there. “What are we going to do?” he asked at last. “If what Enoch said is true—and I have no doubt that he is, and he seeks for magic’s own destruction along with remaking this world, then…” He trailed off uneasily.

 

Krystal let out a short bitter laugh. “I seriously doubt that it’s going to be very difficult for Enoch to achieve his goal to begin with,” she told Zeref. “Think about it. The Dragon War had just ended, with the few dragons that _are_ still around barely large enough in number to be a real threat to us— _if_ they’re a threat to us to begin with. Then there’s Mildian’s destruction and the mages that we have in Fiore now are bordering on minimal—especially with all the hatred and contempt for anything unknown and ‘unnatural’.” Krystal ticked the points off on her fingers. “If we don’t do something, magic might just die out in a few years or weaken so much to the point that they might as well not call themselves mages at all. Without magic, this world will be doomed either way—even without Enoch in the equation. We’re going to have to do something about this.”

 

Zeref was silent for a long time as he contemplated Krystal’s words. Even the king of Fiore and the Magic Council are worried about magic’s survival for the next several years due to the contempt and hatred that the common folk have for mages—what with the disaster that is the Dragon War. So many dragons have been slain during the war that only a mere handful had survived—and those few are the pacifist dragons that are more than content to live in isolation.

 

Several years ago, the contempt for anything magical wasn’t as bad as it is now, as the common people at least knew that Mildian had taught the mages to control their abilities. It is the fear for anything unknown that is ruling their heads now.

 

“Either way, we have to do something about Enoch.” Zeref concluded at last with a heavy sigh. “In a way, we made him into what he is today. We have to stop him.” Krystal nodded with agreement. “But…” He looked at his sleeping baby brother. “I have to arrange things for Natsu first.” Zeref sighed heavily, not wanting to abandon his brother—but he had little choice.

 

“What are you going to do?” Krystal asked with a frown. “If Enoch is after us, then Natsu will be in danger too if he sticks with us. We can handle ourselves with no problems. But you know how skilled Enoch is. If Natsu sticks with us, there is a higher chance of him getting killed.”

 

Zeref sighed. There is only one person—or dragon that he could approach.

 

“…I’m taking him to Igneel.”

 

* * * *

 

_~February 28, X395; Karou Forest~_

 

“You want me to raise your brother?” Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons echoed in confusion even as he stared at the pair incredulously, with the female of the pair cradling a tiny little sleeping human with salmon pink hair in her arms. “Me, a dragon?”

 

“Please, Igneel. I have no one else to ask.” Zeref pleaded. “I can’t ask the Unseens as Natsu isn’t part Unseen like myself and Kris. And with Enoch after him and all, the safest place for him would be with you. And this is not adding Dirk in the equation—he who is now known as Acnologia. Please.”

 

Igneel stared at Zeref for a long time before breathing out a breath of smoke. “…None of us wanted this to happen, Zeref, Krystal,” he said at last. “How Dirk had turned out. How he had decimated dragon kind. We never wanted this to happen. The Age of the Dragons had come to an end. Even I can feel it in my bones. We’re going to disappear soon.”

 

“What do you mean?” Krystal asked.

 

“I had an encounter with your…friend before.” Igneel said at last. “Let’s just say that I didn’t get away unscathed. I’m not going to have long. And you know as well as I do that Acnologia must be stopped.”

 

“What do you have in mind?” Zeref asked at last.

 

“…Acnologia is a dragon. And only Dragon Slaying Magic can take down a dragon.” Igneel told them. “You want your little brother to be stronger. I’ll teach him Dragon Slaying Magic.”

 

Zeref bowed his head. “You have my thanks,” he said, feeling as if his heart is about to break. He then turned towards Krystal who looked at him grimly.

 

“Are you sure?” Krystal asked. “Locking his memories away?” Zeref nodded, and she sighed. “It won’t be permanent.” Krystal warned Zeref even as she placed a hand on Natsu’s forehead and started muttering a long string of words. “The Memory Spell will break once he sees you for himself. It might be years from now—I don’t know.” Finally, she removed her hand from Natsu’s head. “It’s done.”

 

“A parting gift.” Zeref murmured, removing a necklace from within his pack and placing it around the sleeping Natsu’s neck—a necklace with a pendant shaped like a dragon’s claw. “I made it a long time ago in Mildian for Natsu—weaving protections within it. I didn’t think I’d give it to him like this. But it will protect him against Enoch’s magic.” He said as if reassuring himself somehow.

 

“I’ll take care of him. I promise.” Igneel said at last. “But in exchange, I got a favour to ask from the both of you.” Both Zeref and Krystal raised a brow. “I’ve been in contact with some of the other dragons that have survived. We have a…plan to take down Acnologia. But we need your help.”

 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged looks before Krystal stepped forward. “What do you need?”

 

* * * *

 

_~April 28, X395; Crystal Lake~_

 

It is an extremely beautiful place, Zeref could admit to himself the moment that both himself and Krystal have arrived at Crystal Lake—a place that most likely wouldn’t be on any maps of Fiore as it had so many wards and barriers and even runes surrounding it that all the mundanes would see is that of a dilapidated old church, its roof falling in.

 

The mages and the Unseens however would see a beautiful pristine lake with the waters so clear that one could even see the fishes on the bottom. A two-storey high apartment was also visible by the shorelines of the lake, with several strange looking plants growing in the gardens.

 

“Come on. He’s home.” Krystal murmured, and she took off towards the direction of the apartment with Zeref close behind her. She rapped sharply on the wooden door before opening it, announcing their presences. “Magnus, are you here?”

 

The two mages stepped into the abode only to see the High Warlock whom they’re here for raising an eyebrow at them whilst seated in a comfy looking bright red couch in the sitting area, painting his nails with a bottle of black nail polish. The apartment is much like their owner—being haphazardly arranged, and with things untidy and strewn all over the place.

 

Magnus looked at them from where he is currently dressed in a dark green silk dressing gown, with slightly pointed ears and spiky black hair, with golden cat-like eyes that gave away his warlock status. And in a similar red couch opposite him sat a redhead with messy hair that reaches to his earlobes and electric blue serpentine eyes.

 

“Nain, you’re here too.” Zeref nodded to the two High Warlocks that are one of the seven that basically runs the Unseen ruling circle. “We need a favour.”

 

“You always do whenever you come here.” Magnus commented as he snapped his fingers and the bottle of nail polish disappeared. Another snap of his fingers, and a long comfy couch appeared in the sitting room. “Take a seat and tell me what you both need.”

 

* * * *

 

“That’s insane!” was all that Nain had to say the moment that both Krystal and Zeref have told them what they have in mind to save the magical community of Fiore. “It’ll never work, Krystal! The prejudice for mages and magic is bad enough, let alone the Hidden Circle—the Unseens!”

 

“Precisely.” Zeref said almost tiredly. It had taken both Krystal and Zeref nearly two weeks to plan out everything for their plan to preserve the magical community of Fiore. And honestly, when they’d first had the idea, they both have their doubts that it will work too. But as what Krystal had said, ‘you’ll never know until you try’. What’s the worst that could happen? Things couldn’t get any worse than they already are anyway. “If the situation is this bad now in Fiore, imagine what will happen years from now. The prejudice and contempt for anything unknown—the mages and the Unseen might just be ten times worst. Or in the worst-case scenario, magic will be extinct as it is. The mundanes are afraid and hate the Unseens and the mages because they don’t understand it.”

 

“And if they don’t understand, we make them understand it.” Krystal added. “Before Mildian’s destruction, Mildian students _always_ had lectures and talks and studies and even field trips to the Unseen domain. We met fey, goblins, Seelies, vampires, werewolves and literally every single race of the Unseens there are. We are taught your customs and ways starting from first year. We learned to accept you. We are taught about the things we don’t understand. We are _made_ to understand the unknown. That’s the reason why _no_ Mildian student ever had prejudice against an Unseen.”

 

Nain listened with an attentive ear before looking at Magnus who was watching Krystal and Zeref intently. The both of them have met Zeref and Krystal back when they were still Mildian students. After Mildian’s destruction, the two have tracked the pair down and then heard the entire story from the couple. It had been Magnus and Nain who have taught them warlock magic after that.

 

“…They got a point, Mag.” Nain said at last. “And I think it’s worth a try at least.”

 

Magnus rubbed at his temples. “…Tell me what you got in mind and what you hope to achieve,” he said at last.

 

* * * *

 

_~May 07, X395; Magic Council Headquarters~_

 

“Unseens aren’t allowed in the Council headquarters.” One of the guards said sternly even as he raised his spear threateningly at the High Warlocks currently dressed in black cloaks to conceal their warlock traits so that they could at least walk through the streets of the capital city without anyone screaming.

 

“They’re with us.” Zeref said coldly, a threat just vaguely visible in his tone. “So lower your weapon.”

 

“They aren’t allowed.” The other guard insisted, looking at Magnus and Nain with disgust.

 

“What’s taking the hell so long?” An irritated voice demanded just then, and one of the head guards for the Magic Council approached, boring an irritated visage. “Let them pass! They’re our guests! We’ve been expecting them!”

 

“But sir, they have Unseens with them!” One of the guards pointed out hesitantly.

 

“Let. Them. Pass.” The man repeated once more, his eye twitching.

 

“Uh… Y-Yes sir.” The guards squeaked before lowering their spears, and the four then stepped into the Magic Council headquarters.

 

“My apologies for their rudeness.” The guard apologised. “They’re ready for you now. Follow me.”

 

“I hope for your sake that your plan works, Krystal, Zeref.” Nain muttered irritably even as they followed the man towards the direction of the Magic Council meeting room. It took several minutes, as the Magic Council headquarters isn’t what one would call small.

 

“My thanks.” Krystal nodded to the guard even as they entered the meeting room.

 

The nine members of the Magic Council were standing around a large magic circle like how they always did whenever they called for Krystal and Zeref. They looked up as one as the four entered the meeting room, with Magnus and Nain removing their hoods.

 

Eugene Starlight, the current Chairman of the Magic Council raised a brow. Much like Krystal and Zeref, he had also been a Mildian graduate along with nearly all the members of the Magic Council. But Eugene had been a student when Zeref and Krystal have started their first year, and thus, was acquainted with them, as he had been the Student Council President when they have first started at Mildian.

 

And despite it being years since, Eugene still treated Zeref and Krystal like the little first years that he had to take care of every single time he sees them.

 

“It’s a surprise to see two of the High Warlocks here.” One of the Magic Council members commented. “So Zeref, Krystal. You called for this meeting, didn’t you? Is there anything that you need?”

 

“Yes. We might have an idea how to curb the current hatred and contempt by the people of all things magical.” Zeref begun, and this got the attention of the Magic Council immediately. After all, they’ve been trying to find ways to curb this hatred for years now. “We have a plan to do that, but we need the approval and support of the Magical Council.”

 

“And that is?”

 

“Before, the existence of magic was tolerated because of Mildian’s existence.” Krystal took over next. “But after the Destruction, and then the Dragon War, the mundanes were afraid. They were terrified of the unknown. Let’s rebuild a mage academy. If this goes on, magic itself might be wiped out in just a few years. Before it escalates to the witch hunts of the past, we should do something.”

 

“Rebuild Mildian, you say?” Eugene mused.

 

“Yes, but that’s not all. From my understanding of Mildian’s old system, they don’t search for their students. It’s the other way around—the students approach them for training.” Zeref stated. “For this academy, we approach those with already awakened mage abilities. And honestly, _anyone_ can learn magic if they want to. It is just a matter of choice.”

 

“Also, Eugene, didn’t you tell us two years ago that the mage forces of Fiore had been slowly getting depleted due to just how few mages that we have here?” Krystal asked Eugene who nodded. “This new academy is our chance to rebuild it. It’ll take several years, but it’s a start. Any Mildian graduate will be qualified enough to teach at a mage training academy. We will find them. It’ll take us time—but it’s a start at least.”

 

“If you want to bring back Mildian’s training level to how it once was and rebuild our mage forces, it will not be easy.” One of the members of the Magic Council warned. “Why do you think the king had been so worried for years now ever since Mildian’s destruction? Our mage numbers are at an all-time low. I can count on one hand the number of mages we have. Including the Magic Council, the both of you and the few Mildian graduates that are _still_ in Fiore, there’s less than thirty of us! It isn’t possible, Zeref, Krystal. We appreciate your passion, but—”

 

“Then we bring in the Hidden Circle—the Unseen World.” Krystal interrupted almost as if she knew that this is coming. Eugene’s eyes widened in surprise—along with the rest of the Council. “Mildian always had good relations with them—we learned about them in school. We _owe_ the Unseens this much at least. The Dragon War _isn’t_ their fault. They _tried_ to warn us. We didn’t listen. And it’s precisely because the mundanes don’t understand the unknown that they’re afraid and are full of contempt and hatred for us. That is why the academy is a necessity at this point.”

 

“We might as well restructure the entire security system and hierarchy of Fiore at this point.” Eugene said at last. “Our security system are full of holes ever since the end of the Dragon War. If the other kingdoms aren’t in the same state that Fiore is, I think we would have been facing an invasion at this point. And knowing you both, you have plans for this too.” He looked at Zeref and Krystal.

 

Zeref and Krystal nodded as one. “We break down Fiore’s forces into three squads.” Zeref begun. “The mundane forces stay as it is—the king’s forces. They protect the king and the kingdom. Our priority here is the mage forces.”

 

“What would you suggest?” Eugene frowned.

 

The plan still felt ludicrous to him—way too many loopholes, but he is at least willing to listen to Zeref and Krystal lay out their entire plan to him. He knew those two when they were still in school. Even as first years, they were extremely intelligent and full of wit. They knew what they want and how to get it done. Even after he’d graduated, he’d heard extremely good things about those two. If Mildian hadn’t been destroyed before they could even graduate, he’d wager that those two would have graduated with top honours and at the top of their year.

 

“The Magic Council’s system still stay as it is.” Krystal said, and Eugene let out a breath that he didn’t realise he’s holding. If Krystal had suggested tearing down the Magic Council, he isn’t sure what is going to happen. Despite them presenting this plan to _save_ magic, the common people might assume that the king is exiling all mages with the disbandment of the Magic Council. “Their duties too. They regulate the laws and the mages of Fiore. And the common people too.” She added as an afterthought. After all, even despite its name, one of the Magic Council’s responsibilities had been to control and maintain the security and order of Fiore.

 

“And we create a new force.” Zeref took over. “But first, let’s start with the new mage academy. We can’t use the place where Mildian had once stood anymore, so we need to find or create another.” The Magic Council nodded their heads at that—they knew this much at least. The Ankhseram Curse that Enoch Cross had caused on that day six years ago had rendered the entire land barren and still remained so to this day. The Magic Council was forced to shut off access to that land, and had to evacuate the mundanes living in there to a nearby city. Though they were curious as to what Zeref meant by ‘create another’. “Instead of Mildian’s old system of letting the students approach us, we do it the other way around. We track down the students with magical potential and give them an invite. And instead of starting the education at age thirteen, we start it at age six. The training will last five years instead of the previous four. The lessons that we have in Mildian originally will still remain the same, along with the combat lessons, but the teachers that are brought in won’t just be former Mildian graduates—human mages. But the Unseen. The Hidden Circle.”

 

“We’ve already talked to the heads of the different races and the rest of the High Warlocks.” Magnus was the first one to speak. “They are all willing to give this plan a try if it means that we could continue to co-exist with our human counterparts. In exchange, they asked for their own children to be able to enrol in Mildian as well.”

 

“The skills and spells of the Unseen have always been very potent. While we can’t teach the magic of the human mages, we can teach the Herbology and Potion lessons and even the history. Including the ones that Zeref and Krystal were most concerned about—the lessons about the Unseen.” Nain added.

 

“Next, we have what happens after graduation.” Krystal took over from there. “This is where the ‘third force’ will come in. A combat force much like the ones belonging to the king, but one where we have mages and even the Unseen incorporated into it. They regulate the activities of the Hidden Circle and even the mage community—making sure that they haven’t been ‘naughty’. We need to have negotiations and talks with the vampires and werewolves though, to take in accordance the diet of the vampires and the fact that the werewolves need to transform once a month.”

 

“Mildian graduates will also be offered the chance to join this third force upon graduation if they wish it.” Zeref added. “This third force and the academy will also work together with the Magic Council to educate the mundanes about the Unseens and about magic itself to stop this irrational fear of the unknown. The Unseen would also be offered the chance to join this third force. It would allow co-existence.”

 

There was a very long silence after that as the entire Magic Council stared at them—almost astounded that they could come up with a plan like that. And honestly? Every single one of them could see it working. All the loopholes were covered.

 

“I can’t speak for the king, but I believe that he will agree to this plan.” Eugene was the first one to speak. “It is a good plan. It will improve the quality of our forces and bring back the mage training academy. Magic will continue to see vast improvements. Our mage laws will be overseen by both the Magic Council and this third force. Both of them would work hand-in-hand together with each other, also keeping the force of power in check.”

 

“I agree.” Another Magic Council member agreed. “It would also curb the current hatred and contempt that the mundanes have for us. It will take several years to see results, but I believe it’s a start.”

 

“And the Hidden Circle all agrees to this? Every single one of you?” Another Magic Council member questioned Magnus and Nain.

 

“We have some who have objected.” Nain replied frankly. “And their concerns aren’t unfounded, as the Unseens haven’t been given the fairest treatment ever since the disaster that is the Dragon War, but we also agree as a whole that it isn’t the Magic Council’s fault as you’ve _tried._ We are willing to give it another try. But the Hidden Circle would like to add a clause—that before any punishments are carried out on an Unseen if they should have broken the Law, that you approach the High Warlocks and their respective heads first to get to the bottom of the matter.”

 

“That we can agree to.” The Magic Council member agreed, and the rest nodded. “With enough time, we can see the quality and control of Fiore’s forces improve, and even the level of magic that we’re capable of. Our mages won’t be fleeing our shores—fearful that they will be prosecuted just because they either possess magic or non-human blood.”

 

“This will get Fiore’s system running at long last.” Another Magic Council member noted. “We finally have a plan and a governing system to govern ourselves.”

 

“With that, I think we can bring this conference to an end.” Eugene spoke at last, having remained quiet for the last several minutes. He unfolded his arms, looking from face to face. “I will run this by the king, but I can guarantee almost for sure that he will agree to this. I, Eugene Starlight, agree to the establishment of this proposal and will participate in the execution of this plan.”

 

“As will the Hidden Circle.” Magnus stated. “Our people have been waiting for a long time for an opportunity like this.”

 

Eugene looked around at all the faces and smirked. “I think we have an unanimous agreement,” he concluded. “So…” He looked towards Zeref and Krystal who both looked relieved. “What shall we name this ‘third force’ of yours and the new training academy? Since it’s more than likely we’re going to do things extremely differently from how Mildian have always done things, we need a different name. And you came up with this plan—you decide on the name.”

 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged looks for several moments, contemplating on it with a silent conversation between themselves. Zeref was the first one to break the silence, turning to face Eugene. “…Nightshades Academy. And the third force? Nightshades. That’s the name,” he said at last. “Because even in extreme darkness, you can still find a light.”

 

 _“‘Facilis descensus Averno’.”_ Krystal quoted. “‘Easy is the descent to Averno’. Literally, ‘the descent to Hell is easy; it is easy to take the downward path’.”

 

Eugene nodded. “That’s our motto,” he concluded. “With that, we now have a goal in mind. We’re going to revive Fiore’s economy and our mage community.”


	7. Mavis

_~July X400; Capital City of Fiore Kingdom~_

 

Eugene Starlight, the Chairman of the Magic Council gave a small smile as he looked over the sights of the capital city together with his counterpart of the Royal Guard—the protectors of the royal family. In front of them, standing at the balcony and gazing at the sights of the capital city is the Crown Prince who is also now the new king after the previous king had passed away from illness just a year ago.

 

“Honestly, I initially thought that Zeref and Krystal have both lost their minds when they’ve first proposed the whole system to begin with,” The new king said, turning around to face Eugene and the Captain of the Royal Guard. “But to think that it _really_ does work. And it has only been five years since.”

 

The Captain of the Royal Guard shrugged, “Don’t look at me. I’m not as well acquainted with them as you are,” he commented.

 

Much like the previous king, the Crown Prince and now current king had liked the mages in the kingdom. Before the Destruction when Mildian Academy was still around, he had often tagged along with his father the king whenever he made his yearly visits to the only mage academy in the kingdom.

 

“Well, I was still a Mildian student when they first enrolled, so I know a little about them.” Eugene gave a small sad smile as he remembered the trio that has been Enoch, Zeref and Krystal. What has happened to make Enoch go down the path that he did? “But even as freshmen, those two are stubborn and obstinate. Yet they are also the brightest students to ever walk Mildian’s halls. They can do anything if they just put their minds to it. In that way, I’m honestly not surprised that they could succeed where we have failed.”

 

Even prickly Professor Keynes had actually _liked_ Krystal, and to a lesser extent, Zeref, after all. And the grumpy old man _never_ likes anyone. Eugene should know, as he has suffered a great deal from Professor Keynes’ sharp tongue when he had taken his classes.

 

The king’s lips quirked a smile when Eugene mentioned Zeref and Krystal. He had met the two when he was eighteen, and the pair were fourteen. And even as freshmen in Mildian, he had found the two to be very bright, and had an intellect that could rival the best of mages in the country.

 

It has been nearly five years since Zeref Dragneel and Krystal Nightray have first approached the Magic Council with their plan to save magic and the mages from dying out. Everyone involved in the plan knew that it isn’t going to be easy, as the mundanes have good reasons for hating the unknown due to the Dragon War and the losses that had incurred with it.

 

The late king had wisely sent trusted members of his Royal Guard into the mundane towns to spread more awareness about magic—the members have been those that have previously worked with Mildian graduates, and hence, have no resentment and hatred towards all things magical.

 

When they’ve first begun on their plan, needless to say, there have almost been riots and fights, particularly from those that plain detests magic and looks at the mages and even the Unseens as freaks.

 

The king had then declared martial law on Fiore, and had his soldiers exile the extreme cases to the western continent that over time became known as the Forbidden Continent—the place where Mildian Academy had once stood prior to the Destruction when Enoch Cross had annihilated the entire academy and all its inhabitants due to Ankhseram’s Curse.

 

The royal family had been stubborn however, particularly the Crown Prince who have friends who used to attend Mildian prior to the Destruction, and he had felt that he had owed it to his friends at least to make sure that his kingdom will be a place where they can feel safe and where they can be themselves. Most of them have died when Mildian was wiped out however. In fact, only two are still alive now – Zeref and Krystal.

 

Krystal and Zeref have actually been heavily involved in the planning and restructuring of the system and even when the Academy was formed, as it is after all _their_ idea to begin with. Eugene was the one to suggest having the Academy be located in the same place as the Magic Council headquarters.

 

The then Crown Prince was the one to offer up the land and territories of Highfall to be the headquarters of the Magic Council as well as Nightshades and the mage Academy. Highfall is a private property belonging to the royal family—with large boulders and mountains surrounding it, though the land possesses rich soil, thus growing plants is of no problem here.

 

The Crown Prince and the king have no issues with giving one of the royal family’s private properties to the mages of the kingdom. And with general consensus, all the mages and even the Unseen have agreed to rename the place as ‘Avalon’ with the approval of the royal family.

 

With magic involved, it isn’t really that difficult to ‘move’ the headquarters of the Magic Council to the formerly named Highfall and now known as Avalon. And it was only about six months before the buildings of the new mage Academy as well as Nightshades were up and functioning.

 

And unlike Mildian’s old system of letting the students approach them, they were now doing it the other way around by bringing in children with magic to the Academy. The families were briefed on what the children really are, and if they are okay with it, a representative was then sent to the family every month to make them understand what might potentially happen as the child and their magic grow. If the family isn’t okay with their child being a mage, the child is then taken away and made a ward of the Crown.

 

Due to the lack of _human_ mages in Fiore no thanks to majority of them fleeing overseas due to the fiasco that is the Dragon War, much of the work has the Unseen assisting them with both the mage Academy as well as Nightshades, the regulatory force. In fact, the representatives and scouts are mostly made up of the Unseen races as well.

 

And unlike when Zeref, Krystal and Eugene have attended Mildian, with Nightshades Academy, it has five years of magical education instead of the previous four. And unlike with Mildian when all graduating students have to hand in a written thesis as well as sit for the practical to graduate, with Nightshades, the students have to meet with the few wizard guild masters that Fiore had to decide what they want to do – whether they want to join Nightshades, a wizard guild or go independent. That is unless the Magic Council extends an invitation to join the Rune Knights—which as Eugene had later informed Zeref and Krystal, will be highly unlikely until maybe several years later.

 

Maybe years from now, the number of wizard guilds in the country will increase, and the students will have more choices to pick from. The teachers will then be able to decide which wizard guild suits the students best and offer them their advice. But until that day arrives, the students have very limited choices in terms of the wizard guilds.

 

It will be a long route before resentment will heal and the mundanes will accept magic once more. The Crown Prince and now the new king knew that it likely wouldn’t happen in his time, but he hoped that it might at least happen in the time of his children, or even his grandchildren.

 

It had been a long five years, and the system had more or less stabilised, though Zeref and Krystal had been getting edgy, as there has been rumours about a certain black dragon appearing in one of the neighbouring kingdoms far from Fiore. And if the rumours are to be believed, said dragon had completely wiped it out from existence.

 

“Shouldn’t Zeref and Krystal be coming soon?” The new king addressed Eugene.

 

The man nodded. “Yes. They’ve asked for a short meeting with the three of us,” he answered. “The rumours about Acnologia have really upset them. They might leave Fiore soon to check out those rumours.”

 

The king frowned. “Yes, I’m concerned about Enoch Cross too,” he murmured, a crease appearing between his brows. “He’s not someone I want to leave alone too.”

 

“I doubt Zeref and Krystal will let him be, Your Highness,” Eugene answered immediately, “even if those three have once been friends.”

 

None in this room had said it, but they knew that part of the reason behind Zeref and Krystal’s leaving might be to find a way to lift Zeref’s ‘curse’. It can be contained by Krystal’s powers, and over time, Zeref might just be able to control it, but Ankhseram’s Curse isn’t something that anyone would want inflicted on them.

 

There is a knock on the door of the chambers just then, and the two mages stepped in, already having travelling cloaks around their shoulders. The young king gave a small smile as they entered. It has been years, and they still looked like they’re in their late teens to early twenties at best.

 

Probably even when he is an old man and on his deathbed, those two will still look young.

 

Immortality can be more of a curse than a blessing at times.

 

“So you both are leaving?” It was a statement, and not a question.

 

Zeref nodded. “We’ve talked about it,” he answered, gesturing towards himself and Krystal. “Enoch and Dirk—Acnologia. We can’t leave them alone.”

 

“Besides, who knows, but we might just find a way to fix this by travelling.” Krystal shrugged, a grim smile on her face. “And I kinda want to learn more about the different branches of magic taught in the other kingdoms too. We might be able to add more to our current teaching syllabus too.”

 

“But you both will return, right?” The Captain of the Royal Guard asked, speaking for the first time that day. “Fiore might not be exactly a _good_ place for mages and the Unseen now, but we’re working on it.”

 

“It’s still our home.” Krystal answered. “We’ll come back.”

 

The new king smiled. “Very well,” he said at last. “Go. And come back. Just remember that you always have a home here.”

 

* * * *

 

_~Year X686; Western Forest, Magnolia~_

 

Mavis Vermillion stared at her reflection in the surface of the lake’s water where she’d gone to get some water to tend to Yuri’s wounds.

 

 _‘I should have realised that things wouldn’t be so easy.’_ Mavis thought to herself, feeling angry tears filling her eyes. _‘Our enemies are wizards. I underestimated them, and we’ve paid the price.’_ She flinched at the memory of Precht’s pained howl as he lost his eye to Blue Skull’s guild master, and even how they barely managed to save Yuri from getting killed before all of them—Mavis, Precht, Yuri, Warrod and even Zera have hightailed it out of Magnolia. _‘Even if they’ve never attended Nightshades, they’re still dangerous. And it’s not like the townspeople could send for help as well, with how isolated they are from the rest of the kingdom.’_

 

As long as one reads about magic, even if they have never been formally educated in the mage arts, they will know about Nightshades Academy—the sole mage academy in Fiore, also known as the best mage training academy in the world to the point that even mages-in-training from other kingdoms wanted to attend.

 

About a decade or so after their founding and then when mages and magic were getting accepted again by the mundanes after the fiasco that is the Dragon War, the neighbouring kingdoms have followed Fiore’s steps and have established their own mage academy, though with assistance from Nightshades who have sent a teacher or two to assist them in the building of the education system.

 

Now more than two hundred years later, magic is flourishing once more—a big difference as compared to how it had originally been, according to the history texts that Mavis had read on Tenrou Island. It doesn’t mean that the discrimination for mages and the Unseen have disappeared however.

 

 _‘What should I do?’_ Mavis thought solemnly to herself, staring at her reflection in the lake. _‘Should I go and get help from Avalon?’_

 

Considering that the journey is going to take two weeks at best on horseback and nearly a month on foot, it sounds almost ludicrous in Mavis’ head. The capital city is even further. And their group has neither the supplies nor a horse needed to make the long journey either way. None of them have post birds to use to send for help either from either Avalon or the Royal Guard in the capital city. And it’s not like Magnolia has a Post Office that they can use too.

 

Either way, they’re stuck at a crossroads with no way to proceed any further—

 

_Hoot. Hoot._

_Chirp._

 

Surprised, Mavis looked up only to see a snowy-white owl perched on a tree branch above her head hooting softly, with large golden eyes peering at her curiously. Next to the owl is a pure black raven.

 

 _‘An owl? And a raven?’_ Mavis thought in surprise.

 

There was the sound of light splashing, and as Mavis turned her attention back to the lake, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a young woman maybe a couple of years older than her emerged from the waters of the lake, water droplets dripping off bare skin—and she had a white towel currently covering her chest.

 

Surprised silver-blue eyes gazed at Mavis, clearly taken aback by her presence as well.

 

For several long moments, both of them stared at each other before Mavis realised that she is staring at an almost nude young woman, and she blushed, covering her eyes with both hands.

 

“S-Sorry!” she squeaked. “I didn’t realise that anyone was here!”

 

Krystal Nightray stared at Mavis with contemplation for several moments, pushing her wet bangs out of her forehead. “I didn’t realise that anyone from Magnolia had the guts to leave the town,” she remarked, leaving the waters of the lake and heading towards where her clothes were left, pulling it on.

 

When Mavis finally gained the courage to open her eyes once more, she realised quite happily that the older girl was fully dressed in a black blouse left opened at the neck, revealing a black choker around it, and black shorts with silver buckles visible on it. Holsters were visible at her sides—presumably containing some bladed weapons. She also had a pair of red and blue bands around her left wrist, with brown travelling boots visible on her feet.

 

Picking up her magic bag, Krystal glanced at Mavis. “You’re not from around here, are you?” she enquired. Considering what Zeref and herself have seen of Magnolia upon a request from the current Chairman of the Magic Council, it is a statement at best, as the townspeople have long lost their will to fight.

 

“I…”

 

“Kris?” There was the sound of grass being crushed beneath feet even as Zeref Dragneel emerged from behind the trees, clutching a bunch of plants in his right hand, “I got the plants you need—” Whatever that Zeref is about to say was cut off as he was met with the sight of a very surprised Mavis Vermillion on the opposite bank of the lake. “Who’s this?” He asked, confused, addressing this question to his lover.

 

“I’m Mavis Vermillion.” The young blonde introduced herself. “What about you?”

 

“Krystal Black.” Krystal said the first name that came to her. While Krystal is not exactly a common name, she knows that as long as she doesn’t reveal her last name, Mavis won’t put two and two together—that standing before her is the very founder of Fiore’s mage academy and also one of the two who have helped progress magic to what it is today.

 

“I’m…Zen.” Zeref said after a moment of hesitance. Unlike Krystal, his name is a little unusual and will give him away in a heartbeat. Hence why they often use aliases wherever they go. There are plenty of people out there—mages and mundanes alike who would love nothing more than to use them after all.

 

_Hoot. Hoot._

 

Krystal raised an eyebrow even as Hedwig took flight from the tree bough above Mavis’ head and fluttered down onto her shoulder. Not a moment later, Zeke did the same. The young blonde laughed for the first time in days even as Hedwig nibbled at a lock of her blonde hair playfully.

 

“That tickles!”

 

“It’s a surprise.” Zeref commented, and Mavis looked at him curiously, patting Hedwig on her soft feathers gently. “Hedwig and Zeke don’t really take to anyone apart from myself and Kris that easily. They’re pretty territorial in fact. You’re the first person outside of ourselves whom they liked.”

 

Hedwig and Zeke don’t even like Enoch before he had gone off the deep end after all, and he is the one who had spent the most time with them prior to the Destruction.

 

“Animals have always liked me.” Mavis admitted. She is a little disappointed when Hedwig and Zeke took off from her shoulders and landed on their respective masters’ shoulders.

 

“If I’m you, I will leave this area.” Krystal said after exchanging a glance with Zeref.

 

They might need to call in Nightshades soon, as Blue Skull had likely broken every single mage law in existence from what they’ve seen of the town a day earlier. Honestly, Krystal is very surprised that no one is here yet, with how sharp an eye that Nightshades tends to keep on the mage activities in Fiore. But as the time for the graduation of this year’s batch of graduating students is near, she supposed that it is keeping Avalon busy.

 

“Wait please!” Mavis called out before the pair could leave. She had a hopeful look on her face. “You… You’re both mages, right?” She enquired. Krystal narrowed her eyes at the younger girl, and Zeref frowned, clutching Krystal’s wrist in his. “Perhaps it’s fate that we have encountered each other here.” Mavis bowed her head. “I just…have a feeling that you’re both incredible mages. Please.” She begged. “Please teach us magic. There’s an enemy that we have to fight. An enemy that we absolutely have to beat. Please.” She begged again, raising her head back up and gazing at Krystal and Zeref, a determined expression visible in those eyes. “Please teach us magic.” She pleaded.

 

Krystal and Zeref exchanged contemplative looks with each other. Both of them have a feeling that they know who this ‘enemy’ might be. While they try to never interfere themselves in the affairs of Fiore’s mage community now unless they absolutely have no choice, they have no problems with imparting the teachings of magic down if a group of mundanes have the potential to be powerful mages.

 

And this girl… She has good instincts. And there is something about her that tells Krystal that she might be somebody someday.

 

“How many of you are there?” Krystal asked at last.

 

“Five,” Mavis answered at once. “Please.” She pleaded again. “Please teach us to be mages.”

 

“We’re not saying no.” Zeref answered this time, exchanging looks with Krystal. “Are you sure? It’s true that having magic is not something to be ashamed of. But you will be tangled with the affairs of the mage community if you can use magic. And I don’t think I have to explain to you the contempt and discrimination that the mundanes still have for mages.”

 

“I do. And I don’t mind.” Mavis said determinedly. She knows that Yuri and the others wouldn’t mind either. “Please teach us magic.”

 

Zeref and Krystal exchanged looks once more before they smiled. “Well, I guess we can hang around here for a bit.” Krystal said at last, and Mavis beamed. “Lead the way, Mavis.”

 

_And then, the wheels of fate began to turn._


	8. Ethernanos

_~Year X686; Western Forest, Magnolia~_

 

“Mavis, who are they?”

 

Krystal said nothing even as she stood with Zeref just a little behind the little blonde girl—Mavis Vermillion even as she introduced the pair of them to her companions. There were three men in the clearing that Mavis had brought them to within the Western Forest.

 

One of them, the blond man had his torso swathed with bandages, sitting on a makeshift stretcher. The second man who is the one who had spoken had thick black hair, wearing clothes that seem to be what a mercenary might wear. He had a suspicious look in his eyes however even as he eyed Krystal and Zeref both. The third man was injured as well; but doesn’t seem to be as badly injured as the first man. He however had bandages around his forehead and his right eye.

 

The three men had a defeated air around them, and even a haunted look in their eyes.

 

It is a look that Krystal is all too familiar with; having seen them countless times in the eyes of people back during the Dragon Age when the kings of the skies were having their war, and had destroyed countless villages and towns in the wake.

 

Krystal’s eyes flickered towards the horde of trees towards the right, spying brown hair and an orange tunic ducking behind a thick tree trunk. She frowned, as she could distinctly see the signs of spirit orbs around that figure.

 

“I met them at the river.” Mavis’ voice snapped Krystal out of her thoughts, and she turned her attention back towards the young girl and the three men with her. “They’re mages! They said that they could teach us magic!”

 

“I didn’t exactly _say_ that—”

 

Krystal was cut off by the black haired man. “Mages? From Nightshades?”

 

Krystal and Zeref exchanged looks. “Not exactly.” Zeref said at last. “We’re acquainted with them. But we hold no affiliation with them.”

 

Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the truth either.

 

Considering that Krystal and Zeref both have been the creators and founders of Fiore’s current mage system as well as their mage forces and the mage training academy, their names were still revered by mages all over the world. It is one of the reasons why it is only the royal family of Fiore as well as the members of the International Magic Council that knew who they are and what they look like; and all of them were sworn to keep it secret.

 

It isn’t exactly a secret amongst the mage community that the Black Wizard and the Weather Witch are both still alive. It is just that after the Crown Prince during their era had passed away from old age and had named his heir the next king, both Krystal and Zeref have slowly withdrawn themselves from the world. They only returned every few years to show their faces at Nightshades headquarters as well as the Academy and the palace as well as the headquarters of the International Magic Council occasionally to give their report on what they knew about Acnologia and impart whatever new magicks they’ve learned on their travels.

 

Krystal had always been the scholar between the pair; thus, she is often the one to create the grimoires or the magic texts that the mage community of Fiore uses to train the next generation. The originals that Krystal had penned are always kept under strict lock and key by both the Headmaster of the Academy as well as the current Head of Nightshades. Copies were made however—made available in the library, though only up to a certain point of access, especially for the copies available in the Academy’s library.

 

Krystal and Zeref were both very firm on that when they’ve first created the Academy and the system of sharing knowledge. It is because that knowledge isn’t carefully watched over and controlled that results in Enoch going down the path he did; and by the time they’ve realised it, it is already too late to stop their best friend.

 

Oh sure, the Dark Arts _are_ still taught in the Academy—if only just so that the future generations will know how to counter it should they ever come across a mage who uses it in the future. You won’t be able to counter something that you don’t know after all.

 

Nightshades as a whole however kept a very strict and close eye on the magic knowledge passing through the halls of the Academy as well as the International Magic Council headquarters where most of the scrolls detailing the highest and most dangerous mage arts were stored.

 

“We heard about it a little from Mavis.” Krystal added, looking from face to face. “You’re up against a powerful enemy, aren’t you?”

 

The defeated looks on the faces of the three men told Krystal everything. Even Mavis looked dejected.

 

“I’ve never…came across someone that _strong_ and terrifying before.” The most seriously injured of the three admitted. “If this is even a tenth of what the mages and the Downworlders of the Hidden Circle are capable of, I can understand where the fear and contempt for them came from.”

 

An expression of dark fury passed Zeref’s face. He had seen and experienced his fair share of ingrates and morons who have thought of mages as freaks and abominations. The Black Wizard doesn’t really care what others think of him; though he isn’t such a nice person as to stick around or stick his neck out for those that detests magic and mages. But it is an entire different thing if they belittle and insults _Krystal._

 

Say what you want about Zeref; he won’t give a damn. But insult or hurt Krystal in front of him, and one will be wishing that they weren’t even born.

 

“Will that be a problem?” There is a hint of warning in Krystal’s tone even as she grasped at Zeref’s sleeve to stop him from stalking forward.

 

“No. Not at all.” The blond man answered hastily, obviously hearing the hint of warning in Krystal’s voice.

 

“Forgive Yuri.” The black haired man injected hastily. “He doesn’t mean anything bad by it. We met a few mages during our travels, so we understood the mages better than most. We can understand however why there are several who fears those who are different. Because that is what magic is. Pure power. Is it not?”

 

“Yes it is.” Zeref agreed darkly. “That is why there are such strict rules and laws governing the mages and the mage guilds. If only to keep that power in check and to keep us in line. So we heard about it from your friend.” His eyes flickered towards Mavis. “We’ll teach you magic—teach you how to harness that power if you wish to face this enemy once more.”

 

“We can’t turn back now.” The blond—Yuri sighed even as he got to his feet with a grunt, picking up his discarded coat and pulling it on, though he winced as he did so, no thanks to his injuries. “We’ve come too far for it.”

 

“Very well.” Krystal nodded, exchanging looks with Zeref who nodded. “Let’s begin then.”

 

* * * *

 

They’ve started the group off with mediation first of all; one of the most basic methods at discovering their magic core for those that have never used magic before in their lives. It is generally one of the few ways how they could differentiate the power levels of mages.

 

Those students who were discovered using accidental magic as young children are generally the ones who would grow up to become really powerful mages once they’ve learned how to control their magic.

 

The truth however is that everyone has a magic core within them. Everyone has the potential to become mages. Whether they have enough power to become an actual mage however is another thing entirely. There are some that only have enough power to tell fortunes and detect natural resources—small things like that. A minimal amount of magic power that otherwise couldn’t classify the user as an actual mage.

 

Mavis already has some inkling of her own mage power; though nearly all of it is self-taught—with the young girl teaching herself out of books. And for someone who never had any official mage training at all, she has done really well on her own, relying mostly on instincts.

 

There is a reason however why physical training is often part of the core curriculum at every single mage Academy there is in the world. Mages have to train their bodies as well as their minds in order to use powerful magic. It is also what the Academy is preparing their students for should they ever join a mage guild upon graduation.

 

Hence, by the time the group of them have finished mediating, it is already nightfall—with the only source of light they have in the dark forest being the fire that also serves as their heat source.

 

“Magic power is necessary to put power into operation.” Zeref begun, drawing several symbols in the air with his index finger. The non-mages have their eyes widening as they saw flames trailing from Zeref’s finger and remaining in the air. “Materialise the magic power that’s inside of you and release it.”

 

“Like what we’ve been saying from the beginning; we aren’t mages! We _don’t have_ any magic!” Yuri Dreyar complained.

 

“Magic is all about intent.” Krystal piped in from next to Zeref. She had been content at letting Zeref teach them the basics. He had always been better at that than Krystal for some odd reason, despite Krystal being the scholar between the two. It is why Zeref had been so popular with the younger students back at Mildian. “The only limit is your imagination.” She tapped at her temple as she spoke. “To us mages, magic power is the equivalent of life force.” She held out her hand so that her left palm is facing upwards; and a hologram image of what is meant to represent a mage—with the hat, cloak and staff appeared above it—the standard stereotypical image of a mage back in the day, and which storybooks still depicted today. “Let me put it this way: what is the one thing that humans can’t go without?”

 

“Air.” Precht answered promptly before Yuri can answer ‘booze!’

 

“That’s right.” Krystal nodded her head. “Thus, what we call magic power here, or Ethernanos are actually the building blocks of magic power.” The hologram image as well as the symbol of Ethernanos that Zeref had drawn vanished. Krystal then drew two images in the air before her; and much like how Zeref had done, trails of fire trailed from her fingers. Two images appeared before her: an empty heart and a heart coloured in. “Ethernanos are everywhere around us. It’s in the air we breathe; the food we eat; even the water we drink. It can be absorbed into the body. Ethernanos that are thus absorbed become the person’s magic power.”

 

“Most normal mages are limited to the amount of magic power, or Ethernanos that they have in their bodies.” Zeref took over the explanation from there. “It is how they could use magic—by using the power already stored in their bodies. But occasionally, there are the rare mages that have the ability to absorb magic energy from selected items or elements and use it as part of their own power.”

 

Zeref tactfully _didn’t_ mention the type of mages that could do that: Dragon Slayers. With the end of the Dragon War, and how the dragons have all but faded into existence, the few Dragons Slayers that are left and haven’t perished have died taking the secret of their mage power with them. Pretty soon, Dragon Slaying magic will likely be reclassified as Lost Magic once more.

 

Krystal probably knew the method to train up a mage to become a Dragon Slayer. She _did_ spend loads of time with Igneel and some of the other dragons back then when they were training Dirk and all the others to be Dragon Slayers. But if Krystal knew, she isn’t talking; and she isn’t writing it down into a grimoire like she did for most of the mage arts that they’ve came across over the years.

 

“Sounds complicated.” Yuri furrowed his brows. He looked at Mavis who is beside him, listening with intense concentration, and with stars almost shining in her eyes.

 

Hell, this is probably a dream come true for her, Yuri thought with fond exasperation, recalling how Mavis kept harping about the magic books that she’d brought with her from Tenrou Island. Yuri did speak about it to Warrod and even Precht once; how they have contemplated enrolling Mavis into Nightshades Academy once they’re done with their treasure hunt; even though she’s likely above the age that the Academy normally allows for enrolment. The little girl had really grown on them over the past few months.

 

“Not really.” Zeref let out a chuckle, recalling with some sadness how Enoch had said the same thing once in Professor Meyers’ first class when she had taught them the same thing that Zeref and Krystal are now teaching their group of temporary students. “It’s not really that difficult once you’ve grasped the concept. Basically, with Ethernanos, the vessel determines the limit of each mage’s magic power. So the amount of power that each person can take in varies. But even if the magic power in one’s body is exhausted after being used extensively, the body will absorb Ethernanos from the air, and after a while, the vessel will be full again. In other words, magic power is something that can be replenished.”

 

The three men were speechless for several long moments. In contrast to them, Mavis’ eyes were sparkling. Krystal’s eyes flickered towards the small brunette form next to Mavis.

 

“But with magic, there is one important thing to remember.” Zeref continued. “It takes more than just transforming the magic power in your body.” His voice had gotten deeper and serious—causing all those in the clearing to take notice. The non-mages all had the strange feeling that they had best _not_ piss the two mages off. “There is something else that is indispensable. That is the strength of a mage’s feelings.”

 

“The strength of a mage’s feelings?” Mavis echoed.

 

“You have been in battle before, haven’t you?” Krystal questioned, and she received nods for that question. “Those feelings that you feel in the battle… What are those? And at times, don’t you feel angry? Maybe furious? Or maybe you’re just enjoying the thrill of battle?” She received nods all around. “Feelings are the strength of a mage’s power. Unless you have strong feelings in your heart, and draw upon them, it won’t be easy to employ any magic.”

 

There was a very long shocked silence in their wake.

 

Zeref looked skywards and saw that the stars have fully come out. There was even a faint hoot in the distance that he could have sworn is Hedwig. He looked at Krystal. “Kris.” Krystal looked over at Zeref questioningly, and he jabbed his finger skywards.

 

“Looks like it’s gotten late.” Krystal murmured, glancing skywards before turning her attention back to the group before her. “Let’s continue again tomorrow. Before that however…” She looked at Yuri. “I’ll tend to your injuries. It’ll be a big issue if it affects how you’re going to find your magic.”

 

“Are you a healer?” Precht asked, surprised.

 

“I know Healing Magic, but I’m _not_ exactly a healer. I _am_ qualified as one however.” Krystal said hesitantly. Can she even be considered a _qualified_ healer if she technically never graduated from Mildian? “Get over here.”

 

“A-All right.” Yuri muttered, moving gingerly over to Krystal, holding his tender ribs and letting out a grunt as he sat down in front of the girl. Precht and Warrod looked at Yuri with concern before conversing between themselves and even Mavis about what they’ve learnt from Zeref and Krystal. With one look from Krystal, Zeref moved away from Yuri and Krystal, approaching the group and answering every question that they had.

 

“You’re lucky you got out of there alive.” Krystal murmured, letting her Healing Magic covers Yuri, slowly healing the worst of the injuries. “With how injured you are, it is a miracle you aren’t dead.”

 

“I don’t die that easily.” Yuri muttered.

 

_“What do you think, Zera?”_

 

Krystal and Yuri looked up at the sound of Mavis’ excited voice. Krystal’s eyes flickered towards the quiet brunette that is likely the only one who didn’t dare to approach either her or Zeref. Yuri however looked at Mavis sadly.

 

“Hey, can I ask a favour?” Yuri asked, eyes flickering towards Krystal. “Can you…just play along with Mavis? You and your…partner? Mavis… Don’t let Mavis know that…Zera…isn’t real. That she is the only one who can see her.”

 

Krystal was silent even as she continued tending to Yuri’s wounds. “…Have you known Mavis for long?” she asked at last, ignoring Yuri’s last question. “You don’t seem like her brother or even a cousin.”

 

“Maybe only a couple of months.” Yuri shrugged his shoulders only to stop moving when Krystal slapped his shoulder lightly as warning. “We met her on Tenrou Island when we were seeking out a treasure. Warrod, Precht and myself… We were members of a guild that hunts down treasures or even relics. We heard rumours about Tenrou Island. That’s why we went there. We were quite surprised when we met Mavis there, as by all accounts, the island is inhabited.” Yuri was silent for several moments even as Krystal moved to his throat next where there is quite a deep gash. Honestly, the blond is really lucky that the last attack didn’t take off his head. “Please… Just play along.”

 

Krystal said nothing. “It’s not a figment of Mavis’ imagination. She’s not losing her mind if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said at last. Yuri looked up at her with surprise only to stop fidgeting when Krystal smacked his shoulder once more to stop moving. “I can see her too. Zera, that is. Maybe… Once upon a time, Zera _did_ exist. It’s probably an imprint of the person she had been. I’ve seen things like this before in the past. A long time ago.”

 

“Like a ghost? Or even a monster?”

 

“Something like that.” Krystal shrugged. “Even for mages, not all of them have the ability to see the dead. Normally, those capable of doing that are those few that can wield Spirit Magic or even Death Magic. I can use Spirit Magic. Thus, I can see Zera.” Krystal moved her right hand that is glowing with the green light of healing magic towards the deep gashes visible on Yuri’s chest. “The thing with spirits—those not of this world any longer is that you cannot force them to move on. Mages or not, we are not exorcists, and we won’t disturb the rest of the dead either. No mage worth their salt would.” Krystal pointed out. “Those spirits are once human. They walk amongst us once. They have every right to remain on this plane until they choose to move on. You have to let Zera choose whether to move on or not. But until that time comes, she won’t leave.”

 

Yuri was quiet. “…I wonder if it will be kinder to just tell Mavis the truth?” he wondered. “Will it also be possible for you to enrol Mavis at the mage Academy? I honestly do think that it might be better for her.”

 

“It’s what _you_ think. What about what _Mavis_ think?” Krystal questioned, and Yuri flinched. “You cannot decide this for her. Mavis has to decide it for herself. She might not be legally an adult yet, but I daresay that she’s mature enough to decide things for herself. Even I can tell that Mavis didn’t want to leave the three of you. You’re probably her only friends—apart from Zera.”

 

“T-That is…”

 

Krystal let the healing light die away from her friend. “It’s something that you have to think about, Yuri,” she said at last, even as Yuri got to his feet, relieved that his injuries doesn’t hurt as much anymore. “Even I can see it. There is darkness within you.” She met with Yuri’s startled eyes without fear. “I know someone like you once. A long time ago.” She had a sad smile on her face. “He had power. And talent. But he was unable to keep that in check. And in the end, he lost to the lure and the seduction of that power.” Both Enoch and Dirk. Both have power. And talent. And big dreams. And in the end, both fell prey to the power that tempts them. “I’ve seen the same thing happen to lots of people over the years. I hope for your sake that you’re strong enough to resist the lure of power, and that the same fate won’t befall you.” Krystal warned. “Just remember this. Power always comes at a price. Someday, if you’re not careful, you might very well hurt the very people whom you want to protect.”

 

* * * *

 

“I wonder what they’re speaking about?” Warrod wondered, looking over at Krystal and Yuri. With the distance, it isn’t possible that they can’t at least hear what it is that Krystal is telling Yuri or vice versa. And yet, he can’t hear a word at all.

 

“Kris has probably put up a silencing barrier.” Zeref shrugged, looking at Mavis telling Precht excitedly about all the different types of magic there are, and what could be her power. Precht is listening politely, though it is obvious that he had gotten lost halfway in Mavis’ excited babble. Zeref gave a small smile. It’s really interesting to teach. He wonders for a moment if he could just teach for a short stint at Nightshades Academy.

 

“Is Krystal your wife?” Warrod asked suddenly.

 

Zeref’s head snapped towards Warrod so suddenly that he almost cricked his neck. “Pardon?” he asked incredulously, holding up a hand to his neck to ease the ache.

 

Warrod blinked in confusion. “Oh. Pardon me if I’m mistaken then,” he apologised. “It’s just… You both seem so close and so in tune with each other that I just assumed.” He explained. “You’re definitely not just friends, so I assumed that you’re husband and wife. Was I wrong?”

 

Zeref hesitated. “Well, we’re definitely not just ‘mere friends’ like what you said,” he said at last with a fond smile, looking at Krystal who slapped Yuri’s shoulder as he fidgeted about on the ground. “I grew up with Krystal and one other. So you can say we knew each other since we were in our diapers. I’ve known her for a _long_ time. She’s been with me throughout…everything.”

 

Warrod was silent for several moments before looking at Zeref curiously. “This might not be my place to say,” he said at last. “But why aren’t you both married yet then?” He asked curiously, and a slight flush of red crept up Zeref’s face at that. “I get that you’re both pretty young—maybe eighteen or nineteen?” Warrod mistakenly guessed their ages due to how young both Zeref and Krystal looked. “But I know people who have married at sixteen. Our guild leader married his wife when he was fifteen, in fact! You don’t have forever, Zen. Time stops for no one. If you don’t pop the question soon, she will get snatched up by someone else. All women wished to be known as someone’s wife eventually. Why aren’t you asking her to marry you?”

 

_Time stops for no one._

 

Zeref wonders for a moment if Warrod even realises that that statement doesn’t apply to him or Krystal any longer. And even Enoch. And possibly Dirk. Despite that however, he knew that even though Krystal had said that she’s willing to wait until they’ve settled their affairs with Enoch and Dirk, Zeref himself knew that deep within himself, he wants to marry Krystal and call her his wife.

 

Both were raised with traditional values and refuses to sleep with each other until they’re legally wedded. It might be considered old fashioned, but they were raised in an era like that.

 

_Why aren’t you asking her?_

 

Eugene’s words from so long ago sprung forth to the fore of Zeref’s mind just then.

 

“Yeah.” Zeref said at last dryly. “I wonder what’s stopping me too.”


End file.
